The LESA Franchise: On a lighter note

By Innocent chia
Even as the dust settles on the American electoral season, there is little reason to think that it is over for the doctors of spin at Fox News or their nemesis at MSNBC.  It would have been foolhardy of anyone to believe that there would be no reverberations following the dissolution of LESA USA by the school’s Proprietor, Archbishop Cornelius Esua of Bamenda via the no-less emblematic office of Cardinal Tumi. While the discussions rage on in desperate hope or wait of a cathartic moment, here is simple way of seeing beyond the fog and having understanding where verbosity has been used to veil apprehension: McDonald’s is a fast food franchise with franchisees (independent contractors) operating across, the world. Yes? Can you own a McDonald’s Franchise anywhere in the World and call it something else or disassociate it from McDonald’s North America?

Most of us by now have heard of, seen or eaten at a McDonald’s fast food restaurant. If we were at confession I would whisper about my love affair with their crispy Fries… Let us suppose for once that I win the Illinois Lottery and graduate from cleaning the floors at the World’s largest hamburger fast food chain, to buying and owning one. Let us say Amen that my dream comes true and I am granted rights to start a McDonald’s franchise somewhere in Southern Cameroons… And yes, in Bamenda.

(In full disclosure, I am not a lawyer. Two years of Law in Ngoa-Ekele did not even qualify me for an Associate degree in Law. What I hope prevails on these lines and pages, is what we are all endowed with, commonsense.  Let us then go back to McDonald’s for a treat.)

The Licensing:
Upon winning those millions at the Illinois Lottery, I make the determination that setting up a McDonald’s in Abakwa is certainly the way to go. The reasons for that choice are plentiful, but one is instructive: I know that not every Tom, Dick and Harry will be capable…not even every rich Cameroonian will be able to spoil things for me by opening another McDonald’s on Commercial Avenue, whether or not they are 10 miles away from my location. (The problem with business in Cameroon is not the absence of money. I argue that it is the absence of creative minds with capital to support their ideas. Cameroonians have an unlimited appetite to copycat ideas and then bastardize them).

After cashing out on my lottery winnings to head out to the annexed territory of Southern Cameroons, I may have to call or make a very important stop at the McDonald’s headquarters that so coincidentally happens to be located half an hour away in Oak Brook, Illinois! I have to call or stop by there to inquire a few things: Is McDonald’s currently franchised in Cameroon? If they are not, can I start one? What are the conditions that every franchise owner must fulfill?

McDonald’s will probably tell me or my attorneys and business advisers what we need to do to get a franchise up and running if we were setting up in one of several countries across the globe that they are already operational in. If Cameroon is not on the list, they will tell us so and probably ask that we give them a little time to inquire what the country conditions are for setting up a Franchise. Remember I have won the Illinois Lottery and my assumption is that these guys are aware that I am a nouveau riche with deep pockets enough to sustain the standards of the brand name.

Brand Name?
Indeed, it is all about its brand name – McDonald’s - and whether or not the new independent contractor upholds the standards of service, the building design, the choice of colors, the menu, the work ethic of employees, the hiring process, the availability of a drive-through…and lots of other things that I don’t know. But the fact of the matter is that McDonald’s will go to great lengths to guarantee compliance with their standard practices, procedures and the law of the land.
Let us be certain of one truth: Warren Buffet or Bill Gates will not be sold McDonald’s franchisees if at any point in time they state that their McDonald’s will be painted Green, Red and Yellow because their combined wealth is more than McDonald’s worth. The two will be asked to go start their own successful chain.

The Brand - LESA or the Church / School?
Lourdes Ex-Students Associations – LESA – are a bi product of Our Lady of Lourdes College, Mankon in Cameroon. Every ex-student of the college, on condition that they spent a pre-determined amount of time at the college, and so elect, is a member of the Association where it exists. Of course, new chapters, like new McDonald’s franchisees, can be created as willing members deem necessary.

Here is where this may become a little tricky: Unlike a McDonald’s Franchise where the determination is made and license to operate is issued from one corporate office in Oak Brook Illinois, voluntary Association chapters do not need the approval or blessing of a mother Chapter to operate.

For instance, BOBA USA, SOBA USA, SHESA USA, EXSSA USA …never went back to the mother organizations in Cameroon asking for authorization to set up Ex-Student Associations of their respective Alma-Maters in the United States or anywhere out of Cameroon. In fact, I will bet a dime that they are not under the authority of the home chapter. Rather, they are equal entities with class seniority as a common denominator that holds rank, good or bad, over any other consideration at meetings.

However, all these Chapters and Associations only have a name because of their respective schools – CPC, Sasse, Sacred Heart, Saker Baptist – etc. Without the schools, there are no Associations. Without the Schools, it is impossible to bring together all these men and women under these different umbrellas. Without the Schools, you could come together as any other collective of men or women and call yourselves anything else, definitely not BOBANS, SOBANS, SHESANS, EXSSANS… or LESANS.

Meantime, there is need to be unequivocal about this well-known fact: these Schools so happen to be owned by the Church. The Church is the proprietor. The Church is the Master Franchise, like the McDonald’s hamburger fast food empire. They also have rules of engagement that protect their BRAND NAME.

The recent act of dissolution of LESA USA by the Archbishop of Bamenda, via the office of Cardinal Tumi must be seen as one such reminder that the Church and its schools are in the business of educating “the boy Child” or “the girl child” into given value systems. In CPC the value system is conveyed in its motto: God – Knowledge – Service. We are to know God our Creator first, have understanding of the world, and go out in servive of humanity.

The Ruling of King Solomon
A lot has been made of the ruling of the School Proprietor and the Church on the LESA USA saga. This is the bottom line that informed Cardinal Tumi’s press release of 11/22/12:

Regrettably, LESA USA Inc. has called on its members to vote ‘for’ or ‘against’ the propositions unconditionally approved by the reconciliation forum and by the Archbishop of Bamenda, proprietor of the college. This is not acceptable from ex--‐students who have spent so many years in that Catholic School. By so doing, LESA USA Inc. by disobeying the proprietor of the college, has alienated itself from having anything to do with Our Lady of Lourdes College.

This decision is not about envying the fundraising capabilities of a group of talented and highly skilled educated women, mothers and sisters. This decision is not about the 501(c)3 non-profit status of an organization, be it as it may that the executive acted on its own intelligence , and not necessarily upon an express General Assembly mandate, to apply and obtain the Status. This decision is not even about how funds may have been misused or any such innuendo as stock market investment gone bust. This decision is not about any of that.

This decision is about disrespecting the values of the Master Franchise – the Catholic Church that owns the name of Our Lady of Lourdes. The keywords are there. It is about behavior that is “not acceptable”, including the trading of insults, public and private, from students that went through a Christian School, acting like they were schooled in the corridors of JK Rowling’s Harry Porter witch land. This is the humiliation that the Church and School are facing and, although by no means close in scale to the sex scandals that have dogged it, action was taken.

You may be familiar with how Cardinal Tumi and the Church came to this position if you remember the story of King Solomon and the two women that came to him to decide on a baby. The Cardinal asked LESA USA, Inc and LESA Alumnae whether they would rather he split the baby into two halves for each woman to have a piece.

Comments

[John Dinga]

Innocent Chia, you are really something! I admire your knack for creativity. What a vivid portrayal! Between a picture (which I hear is worth 1000 words) and your less than 1000 words herein, I prefer the latter.

By the way, I was made to understand that McDonald France came under some stiff competition and the refusal of local customers to switch from their favorite "croissants" to the crab-shaped American bread. What did the new franchise owners do? Well, a small amount of creativity enabled them to adopt the French croissants instead of American bread and to alter franchise name to McCroissants. It did it! The response was terrific. I hear those gurus of gastronomy switched overnight to the American thing.

[Shandie Shing A.]

Inno, if you and I and other people who consider McDonalds food set up our MEEA (McDonalds Ex Eaters Association)and conduct our business with our oversized selves on Commercial Avenue, someone can come from the US and disolve us? No surely you are talking tongue in cheek.

[Kuoh]

Great article.
Keep it up.

[Paul MC]

Mr Chia, great piece of work. We all do understand that LESA USA Inc and LESA Alumnae have been dissolved as of the letter written from the proprietor of the school. I am sure all the members are educated enough to know that no what their current status is, they can't go on under the name of school that does not recognize their existence. No matter how some of the members try to sugar-code or spin the narrative, it's very clear to all that they have to look for something else to do with extra time they now have to do something productive. It is sad and appalling to see students who attended a Catholics school to behave in such a matter contrary to Christian values. When people are in a position of power they tend to believe that they are untouchable. Leaving in this great country, if one thing we could learn from is that no one is above the law. It is illegal and fraudulent to go around and solicit or raise funds for a course in the name of an organization that does not recognize your existence

[Spotlight LESA]

With all due respect, Mr. Innocent Chia is ill-informed in his comparison. No matter the partisan bent, ignorance of the law is no excuse for aiding and abetting lawlessness. I would like to also take a lighthearted route to think Mr. Chia is jiving for fellowship.

McDonald is a for-profit business and it grants franchises under a different set of international business regulation. Moreover, the franchises will have to operate under the rules in the countries.McDonald cannot decide that because it started McDonald, it can skirt any law. And if McDonald did not have an international trademark based on the Madrid Protocol, it cannot claim rights over any business called McDonald if it operates in another country. In as much as we come from third world environs where habits are hard to die even if facts smack our faces, sometimes we can put emotions at bay for reason to prevail.

LESA USA is a non-profit association. In lawful thinking, US-based non-profit corporations that are independently formed as the records show, are the parent corporations that can assist foreign entities in places like Cameroon, which is seen as foreign corporations. The crafted myths that LESA USA is doing anything more than following the law is a vilification that has no place in a moral and civilized society.

Please, get acquainted with US laws: http://www.t-tlaw.com/foreign-2.htm

In less than 24 hours, over 9000 read this document and no objective person could point to a single moral or legal impropriety on the part of LESA USA. Not even other Catholic authorities noted any principal violation.

At the end of the communication, the explanation is clear on ways to develop cooperative, sisterly relations. Hanging on to power play is typical of our fetish, third world mentalities.
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs193/1105463482084/archive/1111706643847.html


It is one thing to use personal inclinations to color lenses of perceptions but quite another issue to use perceptions as reality. Africa is backward because we bring our personal pressures to destroy institutions. That is why institutions are dysfunctional when people start speaking about ma mami eh inlaw call me for kontri, town sey, and other psychological terror. How do these address a mission to uphold?

Holiday season is approaching, people should chill out, distribute cheers.....something beyond the self.

[Shuffai Ahlen Mbinglo]

Bobe Chia
Great article and Great read. Was it an oversight not to
acknowledge SABESANS (Saint Bede’s college Ashing Kom Ex-students) in your
posting or what? Send your fine to my address by weekend. Your conclusion was
loud enough and the message could be summarized in LamNso as follows: “The
shoulder will NEVER grow more than the head”. It is vain to try and arrogant to
persist.
Keep up the good work. McDonald Kitukelah
is coming soon and will only welcome members of LESA Alumnae the peacemakers.
Bobe you have dissected the wahala of our Lesan women well
and I hope that by bringing it to the forefront reasonable minds will prevail
and the ego will finally takes its place in obscurity.
Shufai

[Yivisi]

Innocent, thanks for the write up. But no thanks. The Cardinal cannot dissolve what he didn't create. Such a farce. He should be out for peace and not ultimatums. LESA is not a school. It is an association which has worked hard to develop and support their Alma Matta. They were not obliged to, but they did and have done it. Power struggle from individuals can't make it.people need to learn to live with one another, tolerate one another, appreciate one another, respect one another and be thankful to God Almighty for everything they have and can do.

[Achilles]

Lesa women, your very public hating and infighting is the problem. You approached Cardinal Tumi to help you make peace. An agreement was reached and then you breached the agreement, opening the way for the Cardinal to take you guys to the woodshed. Why can you not be christians and lay down the hatchet.

You may have an argument about the legal status of your group in America, but my dear sister, if you keep going down this part, your group will split, because there are many who would rather be in the good graces of the church than with you. You are going to be increasingly shunned by the community if you do not pipe down.

[Kehla Yvan]

Thanks Inno for this brilliant piece.
I see one of those LESA Inc ladies still hanging on to her pride and writing gibberish on this trail.
Btw , I have always believed that this LESA wahala is taking so long to be solved simply because there are no men in that association. If Lourdes admitted boys as well, which means men were members of this association today, this problem would have been solved long ago.
you know how us men solve problems?? In one session, over a case of cold Guinness, Heinneken and wine. Voila. haha.
Cheers bro.
Yvan

[mafor]

Very well written Mr. Chia.
I am a Lesan in the USA. I am not proud of all this mess. I am however consoled that I am one of the women who asked King Solomon consistently to NOT divide the child, despite the problems.

We are at a great place...DOWN flat on our stomachs. We can not fall any lower. Hopefully in this down postion, we will take time off to refresh on Lesa's objectives and re-merge as a stronger, united group.

Thank you.

[Shesan]

I do not have the details of what is goingon with LESA and its internal quibblings. Howwever, in legal terms, the ArchBishop has no business dissolving LESA. Keep in mind that the students went to OUR LADY OF LOURDES SECONDARY SCHOOL. Once they graduate from there, they dont have any further affiliation with OLLSS. OLLSS is behind them. If they choose to form an association after they leave OLLSS, then that is their choice. OLLSS has no authority over that association. LESA was not formed by OLLSS and then franchised. Hence, the ArchBishop has no standing to dissolve LESA.

[winifred ayuk]

why should lesa focus all its financial and other endevors on kids who have a 500000frs annual support from their families. Can't we undertake huge projects in the community, with all the intelligence and connections we have acquired and start making our home a better place?