‘Good morning, Mr. Okoro’. ‘Yes, good morning’. I responded. ‘The Accountant request to see you’, he answered. ‘Hope there is no problem’, I queried. ‘I don’t know. He simply asked me to inform you that he’d like to see you as soon as possible. ‘Okay’, I replied and ventured in the direction of the admin area since I had a free period. ‘Oh, no sir. I think he should be in his house by now. I saw him heading towards the staff quarters a couple of minutes ago.’
“Oh, thank you”. I said. ‘Thank God for not wasting my calories on a wild-goose chase’, I muttered to myself and reversed in the opposite direction. On reaching his home, he was settling himself with a bowl of eba and okra soup. (It turned out that he decided to have his lunch in his house instead of the general canteen.) ‘Come in Mr. Okoro. Please kindly join me. He said while motioning me to a seat opposite him. ” I’m good, thanks”. I replied.
He gulped down a volume of water after swallowing the last bolus which was a little bit more robust than the ones he had been eating since my arrival. He let out a loud belch and asked me to forgive his manners. Well, I quite understood the situation. One needs to allow the bowel to settle down after a meal such as he just consumed. But in his desperation to not keep me waiting, he had to speak; and in so doing, there was no time for the bowels to be allowed to relax naturally; hence the loud noise.
After exchanging pleasantries, he told me the purpose of the meeting. Now, there has been an ongoing agitation by the primary and secondary schools staffs, and it was spearheaded by me. It was about the need for a salary increase for all the teachers. He persuaded me to tell all the other teachers to resume back to the classes with the promise that I would be given a salary raise of my desire. I rejected the idea.
‘Mr. Okoro, please don’t make this matter difficult for the management. We can’t implement an all-at-once salary increase for all the teaching staff without it hurting the organization’s budget. I showed him the analysis which we had made to refute his argument. From this analysis, if you increase everyone’s salary by x amount, the organization will still be left with an excess of y amount that will still be able to take care of the salaries of staff from other sectors of the establishment. This is aside from the income that is being generated by other viable sectors of the establishment.
He marveled at my computations and accounting analysis and begged me to rescind my decision because his job was at stake. With a firm voice and a grim look that did not reveal my inner feelings, for some silly tear drops were already forcing their way through the corner of my eyes, I told him; ‘I’m sorry, my integrity is also at stake here’. “How can I rally people who put their trust and hope in me to pursue a common goal, which is to fight against the financial marginalization of teachers in an establishment as this, and then jeopardize that collective effort because of my interest?”
“Do you realize that the management sent me to negotiate with you? Tell me, how much raise you want personally. We are ready to give you a hundred percent salary increase, and it will be effected as soon as possible if you’ll persuade other teachers to call off the strike. The establishment can’t accommodate a general pay rise, at least, not for now”. ‘Okay, Mr. Accountant, whatever amount you want to give me, divide it equally among the staff members and let it go around. Anything, apart from this, count me out. It means that the industrial action continues. At that point, I begged to take my leave. The meeting ended in a stalemate.
Today, when I look at the Nigerian situation, I concluded that one of the major reasons why we are in this deplorable state in every facet of our existence is that people wrongfully use opportunities given to them by the electorate or members of their constituencies to serve their interests at the expense of the corporate good.
Adam Oshiomole was a vociferous leader of the Nigeria Labour Congress who was shot into prominence by the people in his constituency (the Nigerian workforce). One wonders what happened to his voice when he entered the corridors of power. He can no longer speak in defense of the same people that brought him to prominence. The Nigeria Labour Congress which hitherto was a well-sought bride by political aspirants suddenly becomes an unwanted Cinderella as soon as they assume power. There are many people like Adam Oshiomole in various segments of our society. They take advantage of situations for political power and financial enrichment to the detriment of the people they represent.
In the face of such so-called glittering opportunities, they shut the door of reasoning and that of their conscience to satisfy their selfish interests. They’ve got what they want, but they have no peace. They’ve got what they want at the expense of integrity and a good name before God and man. For such people, it’s only a matter of time before they realize the nothingness of what they acquired by vanity.
Twenty-something years ago, I couldn’t boast of ten thousand naira (N10,000) in my account when I took an uncompromising stand; and it wasn’t because I wanted to prove that I’m holy or righteous because I already am, in Christ Jesus, and by the efficacy of His divine blood. I took that stand because it was natural, and logical for me to take it, and not as a show of radicalism or piety. Why should I utilize the collective aspirations of people who trust me to lead them in tumultuous times as an opportunity to amass financial gains at the detriment of their collective goal? If I fall, we fall together. If I rise, we rise together. That was my motto.
If given time, a stammerer will soon talk. While vying and standing for integrity, you may not have money, popularity, or fame. Give yourself time, success, fame, and prosperity will soon be yours. Today, by the grace of God, I travel by air with relative ease, the economic situation of the country, notwithstanding. My children are where I wanted them to be academically. I am planning a fiftieth birthday party of grandiose proportions for the wife of my youth. In addition to this and many others which I will not want to mention so as not to fall into the trap of vainglory; I have my integrity, and a good name before all and sundry. I can stand with my head raised high anywhere any day anytime. Our country will be a better place if we all can partake of this mindset that not all opportunities are golden.
