Politicians and pastors are necessary evils in business – Kofi Amoabeng explains

Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the defunct UT Bank Prince Kofi Amoabeng has described politicians and pastors as “necessary evils” in business who are both capable of helping one’s business flourish or fail.

Speaking at the 25th Anniversary launch of Fairgreen Limited in Accra, Mr Amoabeng explained that politicians and pastors can give businesses the right connections for success, but can also interfere with the running of the business. He admonished business owners to be careful with their dealings with pastors and politicians.

“Politicians and pastors are necessary evils because they can give you the right connections. However, they also need to milk you, and they can raise your company to a high status if you have the right relationships but be careful…When you start a business, you are under the radar and can be a bit protective. But as you grow, you come under pressure. I call this pressure ‘dealing with the devil.’ You must deal with them. You can’t avoid them,” he advised.

He noted that family and friends are also seeking to be part of the business and can destroy the business if the business owner is unwilling to take appropriate action against them when they go wrong as employees of the business.

“Family, friends, and relatives will ask why you are always employing strangers when your family members are available. They want to kill the company. You need to be strong enough to fire them when they do something wrong. If you don’t have the will to fire them, don’t appoint them,” he stressed.

Fairgreen Ltd, a leading information and communications technology company, was founded in 1998. It is “known for its expertise in the supply, installation and servicing of office equipment, backed with a highly skilled and proficient technical team that prides itself in the delivery of customer satisfaction.”