*YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE, BE CAREFUL*
Don’t be a proud and pompous person in attitude and deeds.
There was a time I was living in a village in Osun state.
These villages share the border and are about thirty minutes drive to Akure in Ondo State & I encountered this very pompous banker.
In the entire Village, there was only one bank.
Generally, the bankers there, were always arrogant, condescending, and nonchalant because majority of their customers were farmers, and illiterates, except a few Lecturers and students who study, live and work in nearby Universities.
There is a particular one who always talks down on people who come to the bank to transact business, he had little regard for anyone.
You will think he owns the bank.
Happened on this particular day, my Landlord, a very senior officer at the Central Bank of Nigeria came home from Lagos and needed urgently, a large sum of money, so he asked me to escort him to the bank to withdraw & it was about 3:30 pm on Friday.
We met a long queue at the ATM, and he asked me “why it is only one paying poit at the ATM.?”
I said that is the usual practice of this particular bank to have just one paying slot.
He walked up to the Gateman and said “good afternoon sir, please go inside and tell the person in charge that they should load the second paying point of the ATM so that people can quickly make their withdrawals.
This queue is too long.”
The Gateman grumbled and said, “you want to be teaching bankers their job?, like they know why they left it at one paying slot, in fact, the bank will soon be closed for the day, if you know you want to withdraw money, go and join the queue.”
At that time, the particular proud one came out to survey the queue, the Gateman called him, pointing to my Landlord & said, “awon daddy yi, sope ki e load ATM.”
(This Daddy said you should load the ATM).
His reply was “awon ko lo ma ko wa nise wa”. (They are not the ones that will teach us our job).
He said it with a proud look and went into the banking hall.
My Landlord turned back, did a video of the queue and joined the line, thereafter, made a call.
About five minutes after, we saw a man running out of the bank, at his heels was the proud banker.
They went straight to Gateman and asked him “what did you say to the customer that wanted to come in, do you want me to lose my job?”
Where is the customer, as he was asking the gateman, he was slapping him. ta, ta, ta, ta, ta…
“You must be very stupid, where is the man?
The dumbfounded gateman pointed at us standing in the queue.
The man came over to us, prostrated for my Landlord, and identified himself as the branch Head.
He said, “good afternoon sir, please can you enter the banking hall so that we can resolve this?”
My Landlord said “your security man and the officer said, “I cannot talk to bankers and teach them their jobs, so I decided to talk to someone above your pay grade.”
“In the next thirty minutes, if the second slot of this ATM is not working, someone will lose his/her job.”
Quickly the Manager directed that seats should be brought for us & we sat outside the bank as the other officers went to the ATM house with a bag of cash to load the second machine all within thirty minutes.
Afterward, my Landlord called the security man and officer and said “when anybody gently approaches you always reciprocate nicely, as you don’t know who is who.
He educated them about the ethics of banking and the conduct of bankers.
He asked the proud banker, ” what is your qualification?”
“HND Accounting”, he answered.
” I have twenty years of working experience in banking and seven years at the CBN.
Next time be respectful.
In this life, we are all in the middle, you will meet someone whom you are ahead of and meet others who are ahead of you.
“Always drop your shoulders.
You were surprised that a single phone call from me can make you and everyone including your branch Head run from pillar to pole.”
If you have the attitude of these people i.e. “they are not up to me or they are illiterates,” am putting it to you that, majority of them have sons and daughters who are Bankers, Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers, etc.
I am a son to one of them treat them with respect.”
“Am sorry, so sorry Sir, it won’t happen again” the proud banker said.
The people in the queue were very happy.
“I will love to have recommended a disciplinary action against you, but this will be the last warning.”
He warned him.
We made our withdrawals and left the bank, when we got into the car I asked my landlord, “Sir, who did you call?” and he answered, “their Executive Director in Lagos, we are members of Ikoyi Club.”
There and then, I noticed something that, to get things done in this country, you also need to have a good network and be within the right circles.
Till I left that village, the Branch Head and other officers became my paddy.
Anywhere they see me, it is always maximum respect and anytime I want to make a withdrawal, if the security man was on duty, he would say, Egbon, e ma to, e losinu bank (Brother please don’t queue, go into the bank).
After a year, I was supervising a University Examination for conversion students in Accounting at the University where I lectured a scene occurred.
Sitting in the front roll waiting to collect his answer booklet and question paper, was the proud banker, our eyes met, he look scared and I just smiled.
At a time he was my banker now I am his Lecturer.
Whatever you think you have become, always try to drop your shoulders.
This life is not static, always changing & please stay humble.
We are all in the middle, you will meet someone whom you are ahead of and meet others who are ahead of you.
#Copied
Comrade Prince Olowookere
LAGOS
