IRAWO: My Quest For Freedom 11

Hi.

If you are just stumbling on this blog, kindly read my last post, here.

I proceed.

In 2007, I sat down to watch television with my first son. I had finished my service year at Access Bank and I was not selected to join the Nigerian Navy despite my high scores and physical prowess at Onne, Port Harcourt, venue of the brain and physical test because I was already pregnant. My blood and urine test revealed that. I was not aware that I was pregnant at this time. It was just a month after my last miscarriage. 

Binta and Friends popped up and I watched the show along with my four year old son and my bulging tummy. Shortly, there was an advert by PEFTI (The Pencils Film and Television Institute) on the show inviting the public to apply for a scholarship in music, acting, cinematography, editing, etc. 

I took a chance and bought the form for N1,000. I sat for the scholarship examination and was the only person selected to study music on scholarship for the worth N70,000 and for 6 months. I was happy! This was another of my dreams come true. Initially, I had wanted to register at MUSON but I was afraid of criticisms from my family and my husband. Besides, it was farther from home. So now I was sure I did not need ICAN anymore. I did not bother to complete the last stage of the exam. I have always wanted to work in the entertainment industry. 

In preparation for the music scholarship exam at PEFTI, I did not really know how to prepare. I called the head of studies, Mr. Femi Ogunronbi to find out how to prepare for the scholarship examination. He simply replied, 

“Prepare for English language attitude test and objective and theory questions relating to music”.

Two days before the exam, I picked up my Oxford English language dictionary and studied all the information relating to music. When I got to the examination venue and into my class, everybody stopped talking and settled down thinking that I was the invigilator. I told them that had I also came for the exam. They had thought so because of my stomach; there was a baby swimming inside it. It had been there for about seven months. 

After completing my music school and having my baby, I decided that I needed to get a job to support my husband. My friend, Kemi Segun, helped me to get a job at a micro finance bank. I got promoted to the position of the head of the department after working for only two months. Then I began to have enemies for doing a good job. 

Before I got this job I had applied as a customer care officer at this bank. I like to relate with people and help solve their problems like I did at Access bank. In fact, earlier on, I had been invited for interviews at Global Communications (GLO) and some advertising agencies to work in their creative department. Asides from music and sports, creative thinking is another strong talent of mine. Remember that literature in English was my best subject in secondary school.

At the GLO interview, my creative talent did not impress the interview panel. I had been interviewed in about three advertising agencies before then. I was ready to work without pay for as long as it took. But they often thought that I was a joke for spending about ten years of my life studying accounting and did not want to practice it. It did not deter them from throwing taxation, auditing, management accounting and accounting questions at me and because I gave correct answers, they thought that I was making a mistake for choosing their creative department over my accounting knowledge. The offered me vacancy in their accounting or audit department, my priority, passion, forgotten. I was told that I was applying for this job because I was desperate and that if I got an offer at Akintola Williams Delloit or Price Waterhouse Coopers, I would leave their company. And that was how my life was planned by some unknown clique of interviewers.

I sincerely hope that you will not make a mistake with your children. Do not impose on them a career that you think is right for them. Let them decide for themselves, but guide them in their decision making process. Also, graduates should have the right to apply for any job. It should depend of their capability and not qualification.

At the micro finance bank interview, the lead interviewer whom I later discovered was the financial controller of the bank, said in his heavily Yoruba laced English,

“You have a second class upper in accounting and you want to be a customer care officer, what some people are dying to have, what they can kill for,”

I chuckled.

“It is not a laughing matter,” he continued.

“Sir, I have experience in marketing and customer service. I am very good at these tasks and I enjoy these duties”. 

“You are not serious! In your CV, the topic of your final year project is titled, ‘The role of auditors in the prevention of errors, fraud and irregularities in an electronic banking environment- a case study of UBA Plc’. And you want to be a customer service officer! O ti e serious! We need auditors here. You are over qualified for the post of a customer care officer,”

He began to ask me questions related to auditing, tax, accounting and business management. I answered very well. They were cheap questions. That was how I got my first position as an internal auditor.

I left this company because the CEO was getting in my way. The managing director/owner was nowhere to be found so that I could not directly lodge my complaints to him. Some policies were passed which were contrary to public policy, equity and good judgment. Majority of the staff came to report to me.

“Aunty see o! See what your people are doing!”

As the head of internal audit and custodian of the policies, procedures, audit and investigations, it was my duty to look into the matter.

I went to see the CEO to have a discussion with him. He said that I was wasting my time. 

“What business do you have with these people? If these policies are not put in place, how would the organization be able to pay for your car that would be brought in next month and some other expenses? Don’t you want to enjoy the company’s car and other benefits?

Besides, you are playing hard to get. If you co-operate with me, we will enjoy together in this company”.

He had been giving me eye and toasting me for some time now even though he knew that I was married. Once on a marketing trip together, he tried to slip his filthy hand under my skirt. I was mad! I politely pushed his hand away and hoped that the driver did not see us. I gave him a stern warning. I could not totally avoid him. As the head of my department, we usually met at daily and weekly meetings. Intelligent ladies too get sexually harassed in the work place. 

I hissed and went to the notice board and angrily tore off the policies that were pasted there. Everyone, including myself, had been given unimaginable targets with respect to deposits, investments and land sales. My appointment letter stated clearly that I was appointed as head of internal control and not as a marketer. I threw the notice on the floor in his office. I went back to my office to prepare a resignation letter and began to pack my stuff.

About two months after my resignation, and two months into my new job, my former colleagues told me that the CBN disciplinary task force came on a routine check and arrested all the thieving bosses that would not allow me to do my work including the randy CEO. It was discovered that he had opened about fifteen fictitious accounts with the help of his wife's niece who was also a staff. He had taken money running into millions of Naira.

His wife's niece, whom he had brought in to do her industrial attachment, confessed that he forced her to have sex with him at home (she lives with him and his wife) and that in fact, he had been forcefully having sex with her since she was fourteen years old. His wife got to know and chased him out of their home. He had no one to bail him at the police station. See yeye pesin wey won chop life with me?! Oluku!

At my new post as group auditor. I had initially applied to this company to be a customer relations officer because I felt my strength laid in meeting people and helping them meet their needs rather than keeping accounts and disturbing my brain with figures.

On the day of the interview, I waited at the reception with other ladies. 

“It is taking so long to attend to us,” I thought. 

I read the newspaper on the table back to back. We were still waiting. I was bored. I had not heard of Face book then and besides, we were not able to browse on the phone in Nigeria at this time. I did not bring a book with me. Not having anything to do, I decided to lay my head on the table in front of me. I did not know when I was transported into the dream land.  Taking care of my baby all through the night, I was fatigued. A tap on my shoulder woke me up.

“Hello madam? The boss says you should go home”. 

“Go home bii ti bawo? What did I do?”

“He said you were sleeping”. 

“Please, Sir. I am sorry”.

“Madam, I am sorry I cannot help you. That is the order from above”.

I picked up my bag and left. On the road, I dialed my friend, Kemi’s number.

“Ore, I dey come your office o! Let us go for brunch”.

“Is the interview over? How was it?”

“Interview ke?! I was sent packing. I was sleeping”.

And immediately, my phone was blinking. Another call wanted to come in.

“Kemi, I will call you back. Let me pick this call”.

“Hello?”

“Hello? The boss says you should come back. He wants to have a word with you”.

“Hen?! Come back?! Alright. I am on my way.”

When I got to the boss’ office, he scolded me for sleeping. He said that he was actually watching us from his office which had tinted class. He could see us but we could not see him. He said he called me back because he saw my CV and the good grade and qualification that I had and was wondering why I wanted to be a customer service officer. I just told him that I preferred that and that I had studied accounting under duress. He said that I was over qualified for the job and said he would keep in touch if any vacancy was open. And so it happened that he called me to take up the post of the group auditor the following week that I left the micro finance bank.

I hope you learnt some things here. Your interview starts from the way you answer your telephone call, dress and comport yourself. Do not go and sleep at an interview like I did. Get your things ready at least a day before and go to bed early. 

To be continued