The New Reality
By Rachel Ogbu
Sunday, March 23, 2008
At the on-going Apprentice Africa members of the Matrix Corporation made up of all female housemates are proving that they are better
The Apprentice Africa, a TV reality show sponsored by Bank PHB is becoming more intriguing by the day with the female group proving that they are better organised.
In last week's episode, Blessing Njoku, a 31-year-old Library and Information Scientist from Nigeria was given the mantle of leadership of the Matrix Corporation, the female group. And she proved her mettle as a good team leader.
A combination of good leadership skills and sheer luck made Njoku to excel. The nature of the task of the week played in her favour. It had to do with catering, a task the men's group could not cope with very well. Her group was clearly ahead. The week's action began when both teams were summoned to meet Biodun Sobanjo, the CEO of the TV show at Chicken Republic, an eatery in Lagos.
At Chicken Republic, Sobanjo gave them a task to "create a combo meal of your own…and manage one Chicken Republic outlet yourself." The C.E.O instructed Zulu Corporation, made up of the male contestants to appoint a project manager, while reminding Matrix Corporation that Njoku was the project manager for the task. The male group deliberated and then appointed Anthony Njagi Migui, the 26-year-old Kenyan as their leader.
Both teams visited two different Chicken Republic outlets, where they received crash courses on cookery and restaurant management from Chicken Republic representatives.
Njoku continued an impressive streak, introducing her shrewd business side, when she advised her team to concentrate on sales rather than quality, "Let them just buy, whether they like it or not…we are not going to be there tomorrow to see if they return for more."
Under Njoku's leadership, the ladies worked more like a team than they had ever done before and they were way ahead of the men especially in decision-making. Deox Tibeingana, 30, from Uganda felt Migui was a bit lost during the task, and advised that a leader ought to be more in control. At an advertising company, ZK, an arm of Zulu Corporation, they discovered that they had not properly prepared for the design of their promotional materials, and had to improvise. Zulu Corporation, who had won in the last two episodes, displayed an unimaginative approach to their task this time around. Their roll-up banner in front of their designated Chicken Republic outlet was dull, while the sales team hustled for customers.
But the ladies at Matrix Corporation literally worked throughout the day and night designing the dish from which they derived the photograph for the design of their promotional materials, after going in search of a printer who could print all the materials for them that same night. And they got all their materials ready; handbills and roll-up banners. The ladies seemed more composed. Regina Agyare handled the cash machine, while Nancy Kalembe and Eunice Omole handled promotions. It was obvious that they were determined to win.
When the task was over, both teams returned to face the CEO and his advisers in the boardroom. Since this was a Chicken Republic task, one of the Chicken Republic representatives was in the boardroom to deliver the result of the task. After assessing both teams, he declared, to the astonishment of Zulu Corporation, that Matrix Corporation had won the task.
Sobanjo said he was impressed with Njoku for leading her team to victory and promptly rewarded the ladies with dinner at Lagoon Restaurant, Lagos.
The male team was asked to face the hot seat for the first time since the show began and after they deliberated on what seemed like the fight of their life, the CEO looked up and said: "Gentlemen, I want you to look at my eyes, and listen to me very clearly…" then he turned to Migui, facing him squarely, berating him again, and announced shortly: "Anthony, you're fired."
On March 18, another episode was aired and Omar Bah, who grew up in Washington DC and Massachusetts as a professional actor heard the similar eviction words. He became the fourth contestant to be evicted from the show.
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