Diary of An Unsatisfied Lagos Employee
Posted on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 8:42 amBy Kemji Ojiji
Don’t get the wrong ideas, I have a good job, I enjoy my job, and I work with some really great and interesting people who over time have become friends of a kind. I don’t work in any of those rigid environments where there is a huge hierarchy and you have to be at work before 8 am and you probably don’t leave till 7 pm. As if the timings aren’t bad enough, you have to wear a suit and heels for all those hours. I wear my jeans and whatever top I feel like wearing, slip on my flat soles and I am good to go! Downside though, unlike the ‘machines’ doing those long hours in the killer heels I am not ‘serviced’ by my employers. No fat pay checks, medical insurance…(now that’s very important!), housing allowance, a car allowance….their system takes from you but gives something back. I am not saying my system doesn’t give certain things; it’s just human nature to think that the grass is always greener (wink!)
Let’s do an analysis of my paycheck. Can you imagine earning £175.00/month? That translates to £2100.00/year. Oops! Did I add my annual Xmas bonus of £15? There you go! Luckily, as a Youth Corps member in Nigeria, I get an additional say £45/month. Please don’t ask me why I am speaking in GBP. It’s just my way of painting a universal picture. If I use NGN, when some people start hearing anything above N20, 000 they’ll probably say, “She’s not happy!” On the other hand, if I use USD, it’ll project an image that the money is still manageable. For me, GBP does it…so deal with it! Now to the crux of the matter, what exactly can that amount of money do for me? Let’s say I decide to take a danfo home every day in a month, I’ll be spending £50/month. Should I attempt taking a taxi every day, I’ll be spending something in the area of £225. Please don’t forget I earn £175/month!
Now, I have lunch at Iya Eba(don’t try the pounded yam and ofada rice!) as opposed to TFC, Tantalizers, Nandos etc. These places I go to just once in a while because an average meal there will cost me say £7.50 while at Iya Eba, after all my orisi risi, I’ll be under £2. Despite all these though, I treat myself to a nice sharwarma or pizza every once in a while. Wetin man go do? And whenever I am in V.I in the afternoon I try to buy Chipsy (dodo)…hmmm…
As if all these are not enough to drive one crazy, you have to deal with people bitching, envious people, bitter people, people you admire inside, attractive guys you can’t have…the list is endless! Sometimes, I go to work day in and day out and I don’t feel like I’m adding any value to my organization. At those times, I’m so depressed and I start to wonder what mid-life crises would be like. Good thing though, those spells never last long. Before long, I’m back to my usual bubbly self.
Anyway, I’m done here for now. Always remember what the wise man says… “seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before common men” (Prov 22:29)
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Blogs are about real life expeeriences, fantasies, imaginations, hear says and every other thing! Whether we agree or not, the picture she painted if someone’s life out there, however, I do not think Ms Ojiji’s telling her personal story. Even if she were, the ability to decipher that there’s a better life to aspire for is a step in the right direction.
As for living us high and dry, even award winning writers do so more often than we’re willing to admit! Ride on miss!
Have you finished ranting? LOL
Iya eba – I used to be a major patron when i was working in Lagos Island. their pounded yam is devine.
on the contrary, i love her post… i feel just as u do my dear..whether we earn 50000 or 5000, its never enuf……..u go girl
in essence she is a corper, and corpers are meant to complain read between the lines people….
Ok, I don’t get it, does she hate her job or not? She’s like saying everything so it’s hard to understand where she stands.
girl, dont forget ur tithe!
It’s ok for this Naija sister to rant her opinion on Bella Naija, I have a feeling you don’t love your job at the moment knowing it is quite a culture shock to you especially if you stayed in yankee before… if I were in shoes, I would start looking for something better and it’s quite pathetic that the salary you are making isn’t living up to your high taste life, there is no joy in working a job where you aren’t satisfied, you want better, you know so yourself. Goodluck with the job search and new inspirations.
She’s doing her nysc so until after ‘passing out,’ she can’t exactly switch over. I think it was a fun rant not frustrated rant.
Liked the piece. Personally, relatable to my experience as an intern at a bank, more miserable pay though in a bank oh!.
Aww,started a rili gud story & den ur well dried up?
Jus left us high & dry!!
Kinda nice attempt though.
Why are all of you on this girl this now- haba? It doesn’t matter what other ppl are making, 50 thousand naira a month is… what the hell? That’s like 100 dollars a week… What the hell is that? Please she is extremely justified to bitch abt it. That’s gotta be hard…