Banker Tales....

Tales from a former Banker who says other Bankers are free to join in and tell theirs after she is done telling it all...

‘Come now’, ‘bring your CV to my branch’, ‘be fast’ she said. ‘We have only today to submit names’. This was my sister, she works with one of the banks.

 Apparently, they were doing some in house recruitment that wasn’t publicised. They were to submit Cvs before close of business that day for onward forwarding. At branch level, they didn’t know what positions the bank was recruiting for but I had been home for almost a year after service and desperately needed a job.


I quickly dropped what I was ordering on FM Nigeria site and landed at her office armed with my Cv and ready for an interview sef….lol. She collected the CV, the collating officer took my name and phone number then returned the CV. Within a week, I got an invite for an interview on my phone. The invite was from another company.


I was puzzled, I didn’t apply for any job at this company, I do not even know them and have never heard of them. I got the text at 2pm on Tuesday and was supposed to be at the interview in another city with original copies of all my credentials by 12pm on Wednesday. 

In my state of confusion, my sister called and I could hear the excitement in her tone; ’did you get the text?’ ‘Did they send you text?’ They say the bank is using an outsourcing firm and they have sent out invites. Oh, ‘I got it’ I said excited about the invite for the first time. I quickly dialed the number on the text; pleaded for time because I would have to travel down and get interviewed the same day. They gave me an hour grace and asked me to take first Bus.

 I was glad, too happy to notice the rudeness of the lady who had just granted me permission. This was my first step into modern slavery.

Sis is a real banker and had told me what clothes to borrow from her wardrobe and prepped me for banking questions. I was armed and ready for whatever comes. I travelled on Wednesday with first bus as advised. Got to town and took the very expensive jolly-just-come cab to the venue (I showed the cab man the text) got to the venue and my heart sank. We were just too much, the place was rowdy and disorganized.


I went to write attendance and I was number one thousand six hundred and something something, the announcement that they were just about to start with interviews and will not attend to the mogbo-moya people did not help. I was hungry by now and upset too. Since morning! With this number of people, its almost 2pm and we are just calling number one? Chaiiiiiiii! When did number one even come? I wasn’t even the last person o, people kept trooping in. Couldn’t leave that place to go eat anything reasonable for fear of being locked out. Ah! After all my travel, I will not do interview because of food? Even if I am a twin, I can’t be Easau na. ...LMAOOOOOO




At about 8:23pm or thereabout, it was my turn. I kid you not; the hall was dark, I couldn’t even see the face of my interviewer and my face was now different shades, I used cheap make up those days and was under the scorching sun for hours. I got in there, they asked for my CV and photocopies of my credentials and two passport photograph, I handed them over. I could tell the ‘I better pass my neighbour generator’ they rented couldn’t power the hall properly, I mean few fans and electric bulbs were turned on but it did nothing compared to the suffocation we were experiencing. Both interviewer and interviewee were uncomfortable so I didn’t think it awkward that no questions were asked. I mean I travelled all the way to submit CV and passport. This was a really brief interview. I left with the usual promise of ‘we will get back to you’.


I got back to base and never received any call or text message for about a week. Then my sister-Informant called me one day; ‘how far? Any text from them?’ no I replied her and I could hear her disappointment. The following day, I got mine. The text asked we check our email for the necessary forms to print out fill and return to the address on text message I did so. The forms included guarantor forms, bio data form and even oath of secrecy for a job I haven’t gotten.

This time, we were fewer and we had a proper interview with bank EDs. This was serious, thanks to my borrowed clothes and shoes, I looked good. Luckily for me, I wasn’t asked any banking question, I was asked to talk about my previous job. The Eds were confused about what schools their kids should attend and I broke it down for them based on my experience at a previous job. The lady amongst them was really impressed, she called a staff of the outsourcing firm to make sure I was employed even if it was with another bank.


A few weeks later, I found out through my informant that training was starting by the following week Monday. I wasn’t called back, I got the address of interview from someone and landed at training center uninvited. They drove me out, I refused to leave, I wasn’t the only one, and we followed the guy in charge everywhere he went.

He told us he was going to a certain bank, we followed. Once I entered with him, I cited a lady inside the bank, I ran to greet her. She used to be our neighbor way back at my place. She was surprised when i introduced myself to her. The ‘you have grown so big’ statements and all followed and then questions about that brought me to town….. I answered her in all honesty.

Little did I know the guy we have been begging owed her favors and he repaid her with my employment letter though to another bank and not the one I trained with.

It was when I got my employment letter I realized I was begging my way into modern slavery. But what can a young girl do? I was ready to work and willing to climb the ladder gradually, maybe one day I will be CEO self….. 

Isn’t that the kind of grass to grace stories we read?