…and Stella became the capstone

Stella comes from a humble background. She is the first child and has a younger brother. Her father is a retired soldier and her mum, a petty trader. Right from when Stella was in secondary school, she would do her best to support her family by joining her mother at the market and also helping people clean their homes and wash clothes at weekends to help in paying for her school fees, and also to support in providing needed items for the home.

She did that throughout secondary school. She got into the university and had to find a way to support to pay her school fees. She would braid hair and fix weaves for ladies at weekends. She learnt contentment early, so she never lived beyond her means and nothing anyone did to entice her to be distracted worked. She had a plan for her future and she was determined to face it honourably.

She studied Banking and Finance and did excellently well in school. In her first year, her GPA was a 4.0. When she was in her third year, her mother took ill so she was shuttling between school and home, to care for her mum and study at the same time. This affected her grades however, she graduated with a 2.1.

On the day of her graduation, it was a time of tears and joy. Her parents were singing the words to her “You have made us proud”.

She went for NYSC in Kaduna and was posted to a remote area where she had to teach Maths to primary school students.  After a year, she returned back to her home. She began to look for job and it was quite difficult because she had no experience.

One day, she walked into a nearby bank to ask if they needed the help of cleaners. As she walked towards the receptionist to ask, just as the receptionist was about to say no, she saw a man reporting a cleaner to a woman who Stella believed would surely be the HR manager. He was furious at the decision of the HR not to sack this particular cleaner who never cleaned his office well. Just as he was into his complain, another woman interjected “Oh sir, so you have noticed same. Ngozi doesn’t clean my office well too. The last time I spoke to her about it, she was very rude” then the man said “That is it, I won’t take this again. Fire her immediately and find a replacement in 1 day. I don’t know how you will do it but just do it” he told the HR manager.

Stella felt it was a right time to speak, but she was afraid and began to ask herself, “how do you walk into a place for the first time and jump into a conversation where your opinion wasn’t sought after?”. She knew it was a rare opportunity and decided to take chances. She walked up to the man “Good afternoon sir, I would love to work here as a cleaner sir”. The man look at her, looked at the HR Manager and said “I guess your prayer has been answered. Employ her immediately” and he walked out of the office.

That was how Stella got a job at the bank. After a year, the man (who Stella later realised was the branch manager), began to pick interest in her. He saw her as his child. She was the same age as his third daughter. He encouraged her to register for ICAN and sponsored her.  

Stella came out in flying colours. One day, he called her into his office and told her it was time for her to become a staff of the bank. “Me? Uhmm..sir, perhaps I should..”  “Perhaps you should what? Stella, you are a graduate, you came out with a 2.1, you passed ICAN, what more?” he asked and she responded “Ok sir”. It wasn’t like Stella didn’t hear what he said; she just didn’t see herself working there. She was afraid she would not be ‘accepted’ by other core members who had longed seen her sweep and clean offices. However, it wasn’t about ‘acceptance’ for the branch manager, it was more about being qualified.

A month after, she began to work at the Bank and not as a cleaner. Her fellow cleaners were happy for her. Stella never felt too big to say hello to them, as long as she was concerned, they were still her friends.

There was a female assistant manager who did not like the idea and she did not fail to show Stella through her actions. Stella went through a horrible period reporting to her. Stella would go home and cry but never told her parents, she did not want to bother them. She would cry at night and prayed to God to help her.

One day, during the management meeting, the assistant manager, Sola Adeniyi by name, got up to let everyone know she wasn’t okay with Stella becoming a staff and that it was not in the interest of the bank for people to be insinuating that something was going on between Stella and the branch manager. “Are you done Madam Sola?” the manager asked and she responded “Yes sir” then he continued “thank you for ‘looking’ out for me and ‘protecting my image’ which is what I believed you did when the gossip was spreading” he said sarcastically and continued “Stella is a graduate of Banking and Finance. When she began working here she was already a graduate” at this time, the shock in Sola’s eyes said it all. “That’s not all, she wrote ICAN and passed excellently at a single try…she passed all the stages. If I remember clearly, some people have written stage 2 twice and still trusting God to help them pass” he said looking at Sola sternly, obviously, everyone in the room knew he was referring to her. “Please, tell me Madam Sola why a graduate of Banking and Finance with a 2.1 grade and ICAN success story cannot have a job in this company? Obviously, you spend time with the HR Manager helping to ‘douse’ the rumours flying around about me and Stella but, the gist was too sweet she forgot to tell you how qualified Stella is since she has her updated CV as the HR Manager”.

Sola was embarrassed. She blamed herself for speaking ill of Stella but was more upset with her friend the HR Manager who didn’t tell her of Stella’s qualifications. “If you had not brought this matter here Madam Sola, I would have enlightened you on why she was employed but you decided to bring it here during management meeting and I have no choice but to clear the air.”

After that day, Madam Sola became nice to Stella. Stella didn’t understand the reason behind the sudden change but news spread fast of what happened however, Stella never changed her behaviour towards Madam Sola. She would greet her and remained respectful.

Stella is having an amazing time at the bank. She won the award for best staff of the year twice and has risen to the position of a supervisor. She went through the hurdles of life and came out a success story, what an inspiration she is!

Kemi Ajumobi