The unspoken words of
bitterness and slavery still exist among us. Most times, we equate slavery with
skin colours and racial divides but, the real slavery is when you treat people
below you with disdain. Slavery is not a function of grammar; it’s an act of
suppression. An act of maltreating people who have no power to fight back or no
will to do so.
Nigerian employers
are the worst slave masters. Well, maybe not all but significantly few.
However, you can not completely exonerate the Nigerian employee who allow such
situations in the first place. There is fear in the land. The fear of not
having a job. The fear of losing the job you have and people have knowingly and
unknowingly allowed shitty situations and acts from others due to this
I have once worked in
a company where I was told that the MD would defecate and call his secretary, a
young lady, to flush the toilet. Wait a minute, how on earth can you use the
toilet, and find it so hard to flush it off. A task that won’t take you more
than 1seconds.
This lady was a
victim of verbal assault from her boss. I have witnessed it more than once. I
still don’t understand how someone will allow another to degrade and dehumanize
them verbally because of a JOB. No way.
There are some things
I can’t take. Unfortunately that is me. I am a micro compared to the macro
version that abounds. I speak my truth and I own it. I don’t fret. I don’t
care. For me, I can pick a job today and resign the next day. I am not
conditioned to stay in a job forever. When you take my CV, the first thing you
will see under my attribute section is Happiness. My happiness on the job is
paramount. If I am not happy doing that job then, I am out.
So I got an invite
two years ago with a popular oil Company. If you know me well enough, you will
know I have never shy away from my love for oil companies. The only place I
dread is a bank. I can’t do bank jobs. No way. I’m not built for the stress in
that place. It’s for some special lots.
My referrer for the
oil and gas job was the CTO of the company. He stumbled on my profile on
LinkedIn and sent me a message to drop my CV because he would like to work with
me. I was elated. Immediately, I sent the CV.
A week later, I got
the invite. The first interview went well except that everybody wanted to know
how I knew the CTO. I told them plainly, I have never met him. However, I have
his phone number and how I got his number is another story. I remembered when I
called him to request for his email address, he asked how I got his number. I
told him and he responded by saying, if you can get my phone number, you can
get my email. I think I should be careful with you…. Did I get his email?
Yes I Did.
The second stage of
the interview was okay until we got to the last stage or whatever stage they
want to call it. The interviewer ushered me into a nicely furnished
mini-conference room. He told me how impressed he was with my previous
interviews then he started his questions. He asked, If I can make tea for the CTO.
In my head, I was
already thinking, what kind of stupid question is this? I am an Engineer. I
came here for an engineering related job offer and you are asking me questions
meant for secretaries.
So I answered him,
excuse me, does the CTO not have a secretary? He answered with “he does” so I
asked, why should I make tea for him? Well, if it’s a one-off thing, I can make
it for him but, if it’s going to be a daily thing, I can’t.
He asked another
question, Can you make flight and travelling itineraries for the CTO if and
when called upon to do so? Now, I got the drift. So I told him pointly, “See, I
spent 5years on paper and 6+ years in reality in the university to become an
engineer. I could have spent fewer years to become a secretary somewhere but I
didn’t. I won’t at this point in my life pick up the job of a secretary. I am
an engineer and as long as my job description says that, I won’t make tea or
book flight for anybody.”
Well, that was the
last time they called me and I really didn’t care. I had better things to do. I
have placed a premium on myself and no employer can take that away. I know my
worth. Even if my potential is not yielding its full profit now.
Unfortunately, I know
many Nigerians will say, Oh, what is the big deal? And they will come around to
say I hate the way I’m been treated at work. You have no right to reject what
you have accepted in the first place. You don’t come around pretending you are
okay and come back later to scream slavery.
The same thing
applies in relationships, marriages and everyday life. People see things in
their partners they don’t like and still go ahead to marry. Years later, they
would come running to people. If you are not going to eat it, don’t smell it.
You don’t have to suffer fools to know you have been fooled.
Most times, the way
people treat us is as a result of how we sell ourselves. Dignity is not Pride.
(C) MidePearl 2016
