*🗨?FOOD FOR THOUGHT🙆*


Don't be a proud and poor 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 the 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 comes 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 who is 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 point 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 gate man 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 join the line, but, he made a call, about five minutes after we saw a man running out of the bank, at his heels was a proud banker, they went straight to gateman and asked him "what did you say to the customer that wanted to came 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 identifies 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 and 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 their job."


Quickly the manager asked 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 you don't know who is who. He reprimanded 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 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 are not up to me or they are illiterates, am putting it to you that the 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, 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 is on duty, he will 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 lecture, sitting in the front seat waiting to collect his answer and question booklet 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, 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.
Good morning??

Your story shows a great lesson. That's it, I completely agree with you