Chapter 17
The Road Is Open!
"At the interview, Mr. Hu held my hand tightly, pressed them together and shook my entire body. After a curious stare into my eyes, he said that I was unsuitable for what I applied for but for my brother's sake, he was reluctantly giving me the job."
I Secured Employment with Specomill
Every stage of my efforts to secure a job I had faithfully reported to my brother. He too had taken up the employment matter seriously. He spread a dragnet among his friends for any opportunities of employment but he finally succeeded with his own Chinese boss, Mr. Hu, who was the Production Manager of Specomill Textiles Limited in the Ikeja Industrial Estate. I submitted a stereotyped application letter laced with such humbling phrases and clauses as “I beg to apply”, “with respect”, “I promise to do anything that comes my way”, ending up with “Your obedient servant”. I was invited for an interview. My only proof of schooling at all was my primary six testimonial. I took it with me as I had not yet got my First School Leaving Certificate, though I was convinced I had passed the final examinations.
At the interview, Mr. Hu held my hand tightly, pressed them together and shook my entire body. After a curious stare into my eyes, he said that I was unsuitable for what I applied for but for my brother's sake, he was reluctantly giving me the job. I commenced work in the Drawing Section of the Company on the 4th day of June, 1974.
In the organizational hierarchy, the Drawing Section was preceded by the Sizing Department but was followed immediately by the Weaving Section while the Spinning Department preceded the Cone Winding Section. The Spinning Department spins the yarns, passes them in cones onto the Sizing Department, which, in turn, starches and rolls them into “beams” of various sizes for onward transmission to the Drawing Section.
The beams were of various sizes. We had the 1070's and the smallest size being the T.U.M's. Our activities in the Drawing Section included loading the beams onto trucks from where they were packed near the Sizing Department, and pushing the trucks to our own machine for drawing. Beams can indeed be very heavy and, as Mr. Hu had rightly observed, my strength was inadequate for the job. It took me some time to be able to lift the smallest beam, the TUM.
On finishing our drawing activities, we then passed on the beams to a depot where the Weavers, with their own trucks or sometimes with ours, transported them to any vacant weaving machines.
Excitement Indeed!
In my excited state of employment which I ignorantly regarded as a 'government job', I sometimes thought 'dangerously' about my future. I mused often thus, “ Yemi, you are now lucky; you have got a “government” job where you will be paid salaries: why read further!”
I Bag A Suspension!
Specomill worked round the clock on a 3-shift basis. I was on afternoon duty one week and at the bus stop about 200 yards from the factory, when the alarm for 2pm sounded. This marked the official closing time for those on morning duty as well as the resumption time for those of us on afternoon shift. The sound of the alarm galvanized me into running the race of my life that day. The regulation was that the gate should be closed immediately the alarm stopped blowing and the alarm was always for only one minute. Unfortunately, in spite of my strenuous effort, the alarm stopped just as I was at the entrance. The iron gate shut me out. It took no notice of my profuse perspiration nor of my heavy breathing. I was virtually paralysed with the fear of dismissal. I was stunned but feverishly appealed to the policeman at the gate. Mercifully, he let me in. Yet, for the few minutes lateness, I only narrowly escaped a harsher punishment with a seven-day suspension!
I Went Back to The Reading Table
All things work together for good to them that love God. The Bible is right. The suspension period gave me the opportunity to reflect deeply on the kind of job I was doing. It was quite clear to me that I had no bright future in it and I was therefore quick to identify what my next line of action would be. I decided to resume my secretarial studies, this time around, on a part-time basis.
No Right to My Income
Yes, it was true that brother Ajiboye was instrumental to my securing the job. However it is pertinent also to state that I was forbidden to take out even one kobo from my wages. I must pass on the pay packet to him en bloc whenever I received it. He was not saving any of it for me either. But he gave me transport money on daily basis.
The month following my suspension, I made my intentions known to him and requested that provision be made for my lesson fee from my wages. He would not oblige. I was in a dilemma. Finally, I took courage to deduct my lesson fees before passing on the rest of the wages to him. He did not like this 'revolt' and reacted by asking me to secure my own accommodation. Our disagreement on the matter dragged on for some time.
My Frustrations At Specomill
As a result, every day I spent at Specomill Textiles Limited, especially after the episode of my suspension, brought me more frustrations.
I became tired of the shift duties, particularly, the night shift. Night duties used to elicit my fervent and open prayers, so much so that my colleagues began to make jest of me. They even nick-named me Pastor, Evangelist, and what have you. I developed a negative attitude to my job. At night shift, one could not close one's eyes for a brief moment without being threatened with dismissal. Job security was not guaranteed. My future remained uncertain. I was really tired: of the mosquito bites, the heavy beams, the roaring voice of overbearing supervisors and their assistants, the Over-lookers, the Foremen and their delegated lieutenants, the fear of the small gods themselves - the Chinese - in face a smile incorporated the pushful shouts of “work, work, work … or me sack you”! I was indeed fed up with everything!
For me, life in the factory was only comparable to life in hell, especially because health and safety issues were not properly addressed.
Back To The Institute
As I was saying, in order to resolve or alleviate the prevailing inequities, I returned to my studies. Indeed I began lessons again in a different Insititute - Ayedojo Secretarial Centre. As God would have it, the Proprietor of this Centre, Mr. G.K. Oyedele, became another counselor to whom I owe a debt of gratitude. I cannot fully evaluate the extent of his persuasion, tolerance, timely advice and personal encouragement to motivate me to work harder. Whenever I was depressed and indeed uncertain of my future, he would spend quality time counseling me into safe waters, citing his own experiences to stabilize me. He allowed me to make use of his Institute on Saturdays and Sundays, full time. The small tape recorder that I bought with part of my share of the nation-wide, 1974 Udoji Salaries Award became my 'wife'; Shorthand, Typewriting and English Language were my children!
I Meet Makaiva Abioko Tombri
A few months later, during my encouraging progression into the Shorthand speed class, I got acquainted with someone who later became a friend and a great influence on my life. His name is Mackaiva Abioko Tombri, my senior in the speed class. What I first observed in him was his calmness and dedication to Shorthand. Then his teaching ability which was profound whenever Mr. Oyedele yielded the classroom to him. Indeed, Mr. Oyedele made good his confidence in Makaiva later by paying him a stipend for his services.
Good News No. 1: Clement Passes Pitman's Examination!
I had in my set in the Institute, such other outstanding talents as Clement Ogbeide, Edith Onyeka and Victoria Ikhile. Clement was the first student to pass the Pitman 80 words-per-minute (wpm) Shorthand examination. The news of his success caught us by surprise and Clement became an instant celebrity. To us all, he was a genius and his feat gingered us to work harder on our Shorthand.
Good News No. 2 - Edith Passes RSA Examinations!
The second jolt of good news concerned a lady, Edith Onyeka (now unfortunately deceased) who passed the Stage 1 of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) London examination in Typewriting. She was soon closely followed by Victoria Ikhile, who succeeded at the same grade. This spate of successes spurred the rest of us on as we realized that nothing could be beyond us if we remained focused.
Good News No. 3: Edith and Victoria Secured Employment!
One evening as we were in our speed class, somebody came in to see Mr. Oyedele. His name was Mr. Akinyombo who worked with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Badagry, which was then based in Ikeja. He was on a recruitment drive and our two successful ladies with the Stage 1 RSA in Typing were employed without much ado! Thereafter their attendance in classes became irregular, although they continued to practise their trade regularly in their new office.
Good News No. 4: Edith and Victoria Passed RSA/Pitman Exams!
In their employment soon after, Miss Onyeka broke the news of her success in the RSA Stage 11 Typing while Miss Victoria Ikhile's success was in the Pitman Stage III Typing Examinations. But what then kept us focused about them was their (continued) employment.
Next... Chapter 18
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