When I grow up, I want to be a
banker; this was the wish of so many kids back then including me. I admired
them a whole lot, the suit and tie swagger, the high heels, the smart and ever
cheerful look they carried.
I loved it when my big uncle
returned home in the evening and then gets dressed for our usual long walk down
the street. Some days we rode on our bicycles while in other days, we go play
football. I always looked forward to his return from work because he always
came with that vibe, that happiness, he always had some stories to tell of his
activities at work, it was just an exciting job to do.
I never stopped the banking
dream, I saw myself in same suit and tie carrying a brief case, leaving and
returning home from work each passing day. The joy and desire for the job was
so overwhelming. Gradually I grew to the man I desired (most wishes do come to
past). I left university and by then, I had mixed feelings about becoming a
banker. The stories were changing, big uncle was no more there, and present day
bankers were no more as cheerful and attractive. I wondered if it was my mind
messing with me, if I was fantasizing as a little kid or was this a changed reality.
“Banking in Nigeria is no
longer a profession” my uncle said while we spoke over the phone. “There is
barely anything to learn these days as a banker in Nigeria, it won’t build you
rather it will make you a lazy coward; scared of leaving the comfort zone and
striving for a better life. You get addicted to the steady paycheck” he added.
This is the sad reality of banking and bankers in the present day Nigeria. It is
no longer a career you want to build. The bank has become an institution where
young and energetic minds are zapped of their strength and youthfulness and
then laid off like old layers. Rarely would you see a bank that employs and
take time to train their staff across board.
Banking is beyond looking for
deposits! A seasoned banker is supposed to give quality financial advisory to
investors and customers but how many bankers in Nigeria can boast of possessing
that skill? How many of them can boast of interpreting economic policies or
reliable forecasting? How many can boast of impacting entrepreneurial skills to
others? Why would banks just employ people and the next day send them out on
the streets to chase money? What sense does that make?
I am still waiting to see that bank
in Nigeria that will practice real banking. The bank that will have the
fundamentals of banking as its core values. I am waiting to see the bank that
will understand that the better they arm their staff members intellectually and
otherwise, the better result they are sure to get. Most bankers have become
prostitutes in the name of banking, so many bankers have lost a sense of
belonging in the society where they live in. Bankers slump and die every other day
due to stress and limited time for healthcare and recreation, many homes are
broken, children of bankers turn out to become wayward due to lack of parental
care and monitoring. My friend calls them “professional cows” they are led and
controlled by herdsmen (the management) and are restrained from using their initiative
and prowess.
To be continued……..
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