When a
Bank Asks You to Do the Near Impossible
By
Sylva Nze Ifedigbo
nzeifedigbo@yahoo.com
Banks currently are the greatest
employers of labour and the best paying job one could find in Nigeria
today. With their branches springing up like churches all over, there
is a daily requirement for man power, this has made bank exams and
interviews an every day thing. On the other hand, their pay-which many
have argued is not commensurate with the trouble they make their staff
go through or with the kind of profit they declare- is by Nigerian
standards the best except perhaps for our political office holders who
increase theirs at will. So it is not usual that giving the very high
level of unemployment, every graduate aims to work in a bank, your
sincerely inclusive. The best part is that it doesn’t need any form of
professionalism, what ever course you studied, you are welcomed to the
bank.
But it’s not all rosy. Beyond the fitted
suits, ID tags, air conditioned offices and flashy cars are different
tales that are not so good. Ever cared to listen to a young banker
complain about the job? It might change your impression about bank
jobs forever.
For a greater majority of those who
banks recruit, their job description can be summarized in one word:
Marketing. In simple terms, this describes the sum total of
activities aimed at raising money for the bank. Usually, you are
recruited, trained and then pushed out into the streets to do what
ever you can to raise money for the bank-to meet a given target.
In this job, all is fair. Here, ethics or morality doesn’t count.
Many writers and commentators in the
past have complained about the lucid and suggestive dressing of
bankers especially the female bankers. In fact it now seems a
conscious policy of some banks to have their ladies dress in a way
that will help them secure and keep male customers or how else does
one explain coming into a bank and all the ladies you meet-both
married and un married- are wearing shirts/blouses that give a more
than generous view of their mounds.
Many women are forced into prostituting
in order to meet targets that are simply out of this world. When you
hear the figures involved, you would begin to wonder where they are
expected to raise this money from. Raising these outrageous sums are
often tied to the security of their jobs. While in the Ivory towers
it’s a case of “Publish or perish” here it is “meet your target or
leave”.
Well I guess all this is not news. Guess
we are all familiar with our commercial banks. What however provoked
this piece is what I see as attempts by a different kind of bank-a
Micro Finance Bank- to even out do the commercial banks in the
Marketing craze.
Yesterday, I met a friend-an
acquaintance really-who I first met in camp during the three weeks
NYSC orientation. She had following rejection by the institution she
was first posted to ended up in a micro finance bank-arguably the
biggest and most popular in Abuja- Fortis Micro Finance Bank.
Now, Fortis except for the conspicuous
presence of the word “Micro-finance” in their name cuts the picture of
a big time commercial bank. Their big office buildings in highbrow
areas of the city, flashy cars, smartly dressed staff with suits and
all, for me negates every thing micro finance banks stand for. I can’t
help wondering how a shoe cobbler or a tomato seller –those who these
banks were meant for, will confidently approach such a bank without
being heavily intimidated. I had once joked with some friends that
Fortis seem undecided about their status-whether Commercial or
Microfinance. For all purpose and intent, they are using a
Microfinance license to operate a purely Commercial Bank so to speak.
Evidence to support my claims emerged
after my chance meeting with my old corper friend yesterday. A look at
her and it was obvious all was not well, her well fitted trouser suits
not withstanding. In fact I felt she looked awkward in that suit under
the hot Abuja sun. Her story?, Fortis MFB gave her an unimaginable
target of twelve million to be raised before the end of the month or
she looks for some where else to continue her national youth service.
While it might fall within the modus
operandi of a bank to operate in any way that suits her, I think it is
something else entirely to subject a fresh graduate-a youth corper- to
such degree of stress in a city she is not so familiar with.
Twelve million is no mean amount of
money and you don’t just pick it up on the streets. Like my friend was
willing enough to volunteer, she had been harassed sexually by men who
would want her in bed first before depositing their mostly stolen
money with the bank. Her resistance thus far has left her many digits
shy of twelve million and hey, it was already month end. The way she
was looking, I doubt how long that resistance will last.
Some one may say ‘why did she take the
offer?” well if such a person had the remotest idea of what serving in
Abuja could mean, you will begin to understand. Here some corpers work
as bar men just to qualify for the monthly platy FG allowance.
It is important to note here that Fortis
MFB is not alone in this exploitation of corpers. But for a handful,
all commercial banks are guilty of the same crime and other
Micro finance banks as well. The question is, is it right-morally and
corporate wise-to ask young people to do next to the impossible just
to keep their job?
I feel strongly that it was high time
perhaps the International Labour Organization and international human
rights groups began to look into this issue since our local
equivalents seem just unable to address it. The pressures and demands
of working in banks have simply gone out of hand. No need talking
about the enactment of laws because our legislature doesn’t seem to
know her job. But most importantly, I feel the National Youth service
Corps should spell out terms to any organization that wishes to engage
corpers. It is simply unfair to place such a demand on a corper.
Outside all this, the Central Bank must
do something about banks and their target ultimatum on staff.
Sylva Nze Ifedigbo
nzeifedigbo@yahoo.com
www.nzesylva.wordpress.com
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