(A True Life Narrative by Olisakwe Ukamaka Evelyn)
As a new employee in Ecobank back in 2008, we were given targets from the Head Office – to ‘get’ deposits, like they were hanging on trees and all we were to do was ‘pluck’ the monies. Most women told me horrific stories of how they had to affairs with men and women alike, all in the name of getting ‘deposits’.
One particular incident stays with me:
I had walked into the office of this well known Independent Oil Marketer in my region – my church-member, to sell him my bank services, even though every other bank was offering same services. In his expansive office, he offered me this plush chair to sit on, and then he hastily went on to get me drink. I sat calmly, as my heart thudded in my chest, even as I thought of what to tell him since all I had planned to recite had evaporated immediately I beheld his lewd smile. He wore that same slimy smile as he offered me the bottle of Maltina.
“My pretty baby, what brings you to my humble office?” He was frenzied with excitement. He brought a low chair and sat opposite me, his knees almost grazing mine. He didn’t give me chance to catch my breath and confidence. My stomach quivered in fear. He knew this game well.
“Sir..”
“Call me, Ken,” He quipped in. He was almost as old as my father.
“My name is Ukamaka Olisakwe.”
“Uka-baby, don’t be shy. Be free with me. Talk to me.” He quickly grabbed my shoulders, shook them, and then left me again. He launched into a lot of nonsense about how I looked and how he liked my outfit, especially my shoes. I squirmed all the while. “Don’t be shy.” He held my hands in his. I stared at him, and then pulled my hands away.
He asked how long I had been in the banking industry. I said I was new. He beamed. He would give me deposit that would shock my manager. He will make me the envy of all in my branch. Ha! “Do you know if I call your MD and told him I am going to give you N100, 000, 000 in fixed deposit you would be given double promotion? What is even your salary? Do you have an official car yet? I am going to shock, baby. Just ask about me. Do you know how many ladies ‘chase’ me for deposit? I just like you.”
I stared at my palms. My wedding ring glistened. I felt sad, then angry. I knew if I were a man he would not be this informal with me. He would have been respectful and might even have engaged me in a talk on politics or football or the financial markets. But I was a woman, and as expected, I deserved none of those ‘gentlemanly’ discussions. What do we know, we women? We should be seen as sex objects– as toys to be played with, that’s the best respect you could give to a woman. Right? Not as human equals, but as objects to massage men’s ego.
“Do you want to have sex with me?” I blurted.
The smirk disappeared. He looked a little shaken. Then he quickly began to regain the lost balance.
“Ehhh, you are one naughty girl..” The dirty smile crept out again.
“I am not naughty.”
He laughed out loud. “I like you. You are fearless.”
“I didn’t know I was supposed to be afraid of you.”
“No. No. I didn’t mean that. Just surprised by your boldness.” He was laughing still.
“You don’t want to see me bold, Sir,” I said. I wanted to tell him that only a coward, piss-poor-excuse-for-a-man would disrespect a woman this way. I wanted to scream in his face that only fools like him would turn an official visit as an opportunity to browbeat a woman into sex. Another woman might cower, but I am not another woman. I am Ukamaka. If I ever wanted to engage into an affair with you, I would, not because I was forced into it, but because I wanted it. But I quietly stood, patted down my dress and said:
“Thank you and have a nice day, Sir.”
I got to our office and told my supervisor, the good man, Ugochukwu Nwamara, of my challenges. He did the best thing for us – the marketers. He introduced to us the concept of ‘Team Marketing’. He made us confident. He thought us that women should be shown respect not because they should be pitied, but because they are Human Beings, too.
I wish other women were lucky, but it is sad that this modern day slavery is still practiced!
Olisakwe Ukamaka Evelyn is a banker and writer. She is the author of the hit Nigerian novel, EYE OF A GODDESS. In addition to writing, she has a passion for promoting literature, women and children rights.
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Ukamaka, kedu? This is some darn good post here! Someone mentioned that feminism should be preached! C’mon, it’s not about feminism, manism or any of the other rubbishes. I think it’s all about humanism. Let all humans be treated right. Prominence shouldn’t be preached on the side of a sex but total respect for each other. I like the part where you mentioned that the Oga would have engaged you in a different talk if Biology had divined you a different course. Now, what I think is why don’t we all treat ourselves in similar lights? Would blog this. Let’s have more talk and encourage others to shout out against all these injustices – whether they be women or men. Let’s celebrate humanity and make every one count.
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Now that’s one woman of dignity who said no to self-degradation in the name of ‘marketing’ in the Bank. There’s another side of thousands of ladies, single and married, who didn’t resist the randy depositor and are getting deposits and being promoted, high-heeled and pencil-skirt shoes, in official car. One man of integrity, Ugo Nwamara, who said no and devised the concept of ‘Team Marketing’. The other side is the many managers today that actually send ‘marketers’ with instructions to ‘cooperate’ with the customer, after all, ‘what is in sex? We all do it’. The managers (not an Ugo Nwamara) that ask the Human Resources to remove an ‘Ukamaka Olisakwe’ from his branch because she’s neither useful nor productive in the branch again as ‘customers’ (randy depositors) are complaining that she’s ‘rude’. The truth is that corporate prostitution has since 2008 taken a deep root in the banking sector. Ugo Nwamara was able to support and protect your resistance because he has honour. Managers without honour not only sleep with the ladies to keep them in his branch, but send them out to customers with clear mandate to ‘treat the guy well’ and bring in the deposit. And woe betide you if your deposits are not huge at the time of ‘reappraisal’. Now, if your wife or sister is working in a Bank (especially the so-called ‘Marketing’ (no pun intended) try and find out what she is marketing, the bank or her body!
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Precious, nice of you to bring a twist. You have truly captured the other side of the tale which we haven’t really seen in the piece but one that is truly there.
A colleague, Adelakun Adunni Abimbola said and rightly, that the whole wahala with the bank started long before 2008. Maybe, we should say it increased and became more manifest by that time.
I mentioned another side over there – the angle of the men. Hmm, there’s just much that needs to be done.
I would not add anything else to your words. You have said much and enriched this discourse jare!
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My pleasure. I regret the typos. Sent it hastily. You may kindly do a book on this cancerous malady. I have a case I’m dealing with against one of the banks where a married woman was told by the Human Resources Dept at the Head Office in Lagos that her Asaba Branch Manager “doesn’t want her again”. The Asaba Manager sent her to collect deposit from an Onitsha trader and she didn’t ‘cooperate’ with him. And I asked, since the trader already wished to deposit his millions, why must a lady be sent to collect the cheque? Why didn’t the trader simply send his staff to lodge in the cheque? When the poor woman became pregnant, it was looked upon with disdain in the office, a type of liability for marketing ‘business’. When she applied for leave for maternity, the official reply indicated she would only be reabsorbed “subject to availability of space”. Of course after her delivery, the HR wrote to say “sorry your manager said he doesn’t want you again in the Branch. You may wait until a new branch is built”. MADNESS. I found out that even the so-called ’employment’ wasn’t well-documented! Simply put, my client wasn’t an employee!!! She has put in many years. S.L.A.V.E.R.Y
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What?!! Now that sounds more like fiction than anything else!
‘Do these things really happen?’ this is the kind of question that comes to mind again and again. I think working on putting something together would be really worth it. These things need to be told more often. Sad that a lot of people don’t even know of all these issues. Some even think that they are only elements of Nollywood or better, some sick gist. The others who know of it simply think that it is the norm…
Some comments have been shocking though. In a way, there are many people involved in the whole evil from management to the ‘markettees’…
I believe that when more of these things are exposed, when more people come out to speak, a lot would be done to arrest the situation.
In closing, may I ask: ‘Is there hope for your client?’ considering all the things that working against her…importantly, no papers.
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I wish woman should discover their integrity and potential , I so much believe that exploiting women because there are in need of ones genuine assistant is moral wrong, At the end of the day if Strauss-Kahn (ex-IMF chief) settle out of court his attempted rape with $6m,it will be good lesson. Banks has made young ladies sex object with their so called target ,unemployment is contributing its own quota ,then the worst of it all is lack of fear of God,just imagine your experience with a fellow christian church member…God forbid
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I wish we would all discover our integrity and potential! All of us. It would bring a reawakening that would help cleanse most of our rubbishes!! True word!
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What happened to you is very unfortunate Ukamaka. And truth be told, it happens to women everywhere, everyday.
But I must sound a note of caution to women not to go feeling like victims. Women are fond of saying, ‘if it were a man he won’t be sexually harassed’. That’s true. But also, men don’t do men favours as they do to women. If you were a man, you most likely won’t be ushered into his office and given a drink. You definitely won’t even be offered a N100mil deposit or a car or gifts etc. If you were a man you won’t be shown any ‘love’ or ‘affection’.
If women want to be treated as ‘men’ by ‘men’, it’s fine. But don’t go expecting a man to do for you what he normally would not do for his fellow man without expecting him to ask for something in return. A man’s life is a dog-eat-dog life. Don’t go believing that men treat each other as brothers. That’s totally untrue.
Again, this is not endorsing ‘the beast’s’ actions. This is just being real. Women should stop feeling like victims and realize that we men are not getting a better deal in any case. We are also being harassed by these same ‘big men’. But ours is not sexual. Ours is purely that of disdain and oppression.
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VINNY!! A novel point of view!! Thanks for the fresh insight…I guess this is one thing that we all need to look into too! Wow! Nice one here. I like the way you brought some balance and concluded without taking sides – or at least, saying you don’t 🙂
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I really do not understand if its poverty or ilitracy that makes our women sucumb so easily to the antics of men. Hopefully women will get to understand and be steadfast and respect themselves.
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Oga Tony, many times it’s easy to judge when you are not in a particular situation. It is usually the often spoken about ‘condition’ that brings such things. Truly, condition make crayfish bend o!
Ukamaka was fortunate here. Precious and a few others mentioned something: the case could have been different. She could have had a Manager who would simply terminate her appointment because she isn’t ‘productive’
Think of the high cost of living, her children and all the others. There the decision would have to be made: morals or starvation, degradation and all the other evils that unemployment bring. Sadly, the lady might even be insulted by society for not being ale to hold unto her job! Sad really.
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This is Good, very endearing and lovely piece almost bordering on the movie script (which tells how a good writer you are).
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Hi this is my first time of seeing your blog (via Sahara reporter). I always love a personal narrative as it brings home the truth like nothing else.
Two sets of people make the battle for equality so difficult. The men like the one described in your ‘story’ and The women who use(have used) their sexuality as a tool for ‘success’. I hope there is a part 2 to this tale where we will hear of the latter.
And another thing, we should take the battle against these men with no morals, to another level. THE NAME AND SHAME LEVEL. Anyone with such an experience should not be afraid to name the men (or women) like ‘Ken’. Tell us their names and we will spread it round the world and all decent people (especially young girls) will know to avoid them at least. Or else yours won’t be the last (it’s obviously not the first) you were bold and lucky but not many others are.
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I like the message you’re passing around but your dressing does not reflect the angel in you.
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As a man I have my right to make any move against any lady but you ladies have your own right to say NO or YES.
I hate men who rapes but making a move against ladies is allowed.
Saying what I want is my own right and using my money power to get that I want is the reason why I laboured so had to make it in life.
So stop painting men black if you are so good do your part.
I have a lady tenant in my house who always say men are bad but under one year this very lady has change house girls over seven times and driver three times and one day I asked her if you are man how many ladies would you have change. Women stop complaining about men flirting was old sin even Abraham committed even when God directly spoke with him. Sex is good for the body and soul and its for those who has the means that play it.
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Frank Abbey, if you want to use your money to chase and catch ladies, by all means do (afterall it’s your money), but don’t use it as a tool for oppression. There are more than enough pretty girls who would follow you for your money, why don’t you go after them and leave business as business with the ones who have a different purpose. About the lady tenant changing maids and drivers, she may as well change boyfriends too, afterall she didn’t lure them into sexual slavery with her money.
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My Dear Ukamaka, I do not blame you but the system that allows sexual slavery for our young girls in the name of marketing. Back in the 70s and 80s, we never used to hear of marketing for bankers. even overseas, ther is no marketing. The dyfunctional system that our leaders promote is to blame. However, I believe that any girl on Marketing should be bold to handle any prospective customer and stiil leave with her dignity intact without succombing to sex. Overall, its a mans’ world and there is little we can do individually but collectively rid the system.
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Very encouraging, how I wish many women will be as bold as you are. Thanks for the inspirations.
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Also happens ‘IN-HOUSE’…..As an ex banker myself, on many occasions we get inundated with news about similar escapades coming from top management staff!
It all boils down to morality/integrity/the will & courage to deal with such shameful occurrences.
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A truly captivating but sadly realistic story and underscores the rapidly deteriorating moral fabric of our society.
Your supervisor’s tactic of group marketing is excellent and does help,unfortunately however from my experience some marketers are also guilty of aggressively seeking sexual deposits,largely due to a lack of depth.
i have seen things from both sides of the coin i.e asking a team to market for deposits and also been marketed by ladies.
What i always tell them is present yourself as a professional and be well equipped with technical banking info,that way the client will take you seriously.
I recall an instance,where a marketer showedup dressed provocatively,having a sense of entitlement .i ignored this and asked three simple questions about her bank,she didnt have a clue.needless to say,she didnt get any funds.
While we will condemn lecherous behaviour,the ladies must always be mindful that when the excitement fades,deposits will be withdrawn.
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A wonderful and true write up.
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May God strenghten you to keep your fidelity to your husband. Better to have a job as a teacher than a debased “banker”. You are a true STAR banker! My daughters will be proud of your example of strenght and fortitude.
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Very nice story… I salute your courage
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