Rising in the Job: Only the best will get to the top – Adejumo

By Moses Nosike
Akintokunbo Ademola Adejumo is the Global Coordinator of Champions for Nigeria,  an organisation devoted to tackling corruption, promoting good governance and celebrating genuine progress, excellence, commitment, selflessness and unalloyed service to Nigeria and the people of Nigeria. Currently the organisation is registered in Nigeria with the CAC as an NGO.

In this interview with Saturday Vanguard Rising On The Job, he explains reasons why many employees are not rising at the work place. Excerpts:

I believe young Nigerians would like to learn from you about your growing up, your school days, before getting to this level God has placed you today?

I thank God. I was born in the UK, but grew up in Nigeria, doing my primary school, up to University in Nigeria. Both my parents are teachers.

During your growing up years, were things all that rosy or did you face some kind of challenges that shaped you today?

I was lucky when I was growing up because I will say it was a different, better Nigeria then, when everybody had a chance. When leaders were at least more focused than now. However, things were not all that rosy; I was brought up in the village at the school founded by my father for his community.

So I was kind of brought up with some silver spoon, yet because of the profession of both my parents, school principal and my mum as headmistress, the discipline I got from them is what has made me today to be what I am, and of course with God’s guidance and blessings.

The challenges for people like me in the 50s and 60s was really getting a good education. Nigeria was good, everybody seemed to have the same opportunity to be anything they want, the poor can aspire to be rich and the chances were there for everybody. Growing up in Awolowo’s Western region was great then.

Sir, today we have seen people whose family background was nothing to reckon with but today some of them have risen to become MD/CEO, what do you think is necessary in life before one can rise?

There are many factors necessary for this. Fear of God; conscience, compassion for other people who are less blessed than you; humility; the ability to discern between good and evil and to acknowledge  that we are all going to die without taking a penny to wherever we go after death. I am not a rich man now; I am not an MD/CEO of a big organisation or company. I operate a one_man business, but I am still proud of myself.

Also be helpful to people. Don’t denigrate or look down on people. The people you meet going up are the same you will meet if you are coming down. Be sincere and honest. I won’t sleep in more than one room in a night or two houses. I am not selfish and greedy; these are what cause corruption in this country.

Most of our leaders today, in government, politics, academics, business, banking etc came from poor background, but they decided to forget their background for fear of the same happening to their children, yet they forget that all they have to do is give their children a good education and discipline, and these children will find their own way in life.

That is always their excuse, these corrupt people, that they want to take care of their family, that’s why it is necessary for them to steal so much. In the end they don’t even do that for their children.

Also, there is no excuse; why are you stealing our common wealth only because of your family? The wealth that belongs to all of us? That is selfishness and greed.

There are many factors necessary for this. Fear of God; conscience, compassion for other people who are less blessed than you; humility; the ability to discern between good and evil and to acknowledge that we are all going to die without taking a penny to wherever we go after death. I am not a rich man now; I am not an MD/CEO of a big organisation or company. I operate a one_man business, but I am still proud of myself.

Also be helpful to people. Dont denigrate or look down on people. The people you meet going up are the same you will meet if you are coming down. Be sincere and honest. I won’t sleep in more than one room in a night or two houses. I am not selfish and greedy; these are what cause corruption in this country.

Most of our leaders of today,in  government, politics, academics, business, banking etc came from poor background, but they decided to forget their background for fear of the same happening to their children, yet they forget that all they have to do is give their children a good education and discipline, and these children will find their own way in life.

That is always their excuse, these corrupt people, that want to take care of their family, that’s why it is necessary for them to steal so much. In the end they don’t even do that for their children.

Also, there is no excuse; why are you stealing our common wealth only because of your family? The wealth that belongs to all of us? That is selfishness and greed.

With your experience in service, what should an employee do  to rise at the work place?

I don’t have anything against an employee rising up. It must be a natural career progression for us as human beings. We should always aspire to rise to the very top of our careers. No problem with that. But in Nigeria, mediocrity and nepotism and corruption have enabled undeserving and inept people to rise up, not only in business but in government and politics, hence we find our country in the mess we are now.

To genuinely rise up in any organisation, you must be hard_working, good managerial skills, focused, brilliant, innovative, have initiative, be engaging and be always willing to learn from your mistakes and from other people, good communication skills, amongst many other things.

What is your advice for employees who want to rise despite all odds?

I don’t have any advice for employees who, as you put it, want to rise despite all odds. If you mean, what advice I have for employees who want to rise, but at all costs, then they must follow some of the qualities I have written above.

One thing we must realise is that the hierarchy in a workplace is like a pyramid. The base is wide and the tip narrow, we can’t all get to the tip or the top. Only the best will get to the top and the best of the best will be the top-gun.

So in an ideal situation, the best will get there after having equipped himself/herself to get there, and that is by education, experience, human engineering, management skills, and even a lot of workplace politics.

All in all I guess you must also be hard working and be focused to get what you want and get to where you want to be.

But not at all costs; it must not be at the negative expenses of other people.

We all want to rise at our work, unless you don’t have any ambition. There will always be odds against you one way or the other. That is being human for you, but it is up to individuals to surmount those odds, because those odds are different for each person and under different circumstances.

A lot of youths acquire certificates they can’t defend and not only that, most of them do not possess skills, what should be done in this aspect?

Any youth who acquires certificates they cannot defend are fake in the first place. However if you mean our youths go through university or educational system without learning anything, then that is both a failure of the society as well as the individual.

How do you acquire a certificate? You do this by going through an educational system that will enable you learn certain things and when you are tested after a certain length of time, and you pass, then you are given the certificate as evidence of your hard work.

Of course, people buy certificates these days; and our educational system in Nigeria is now very suspect in quality.

So how do we reverse this trend? We need a total overhaul of our present educational system in Nigeria. The way we operate our educational system currently is leading us nowhere fast. Do you know that in Nigeria, there are some schools in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, etc that teach our Nigerian children in American and British curriculum? This is terrible.

This means ALL THOSE CHILDREN ARE BEING EDUCATED TO SERVE American and British interests. If they don’t know Nigerian system, how will they be useful to Nigeria in future? How can these children have a grasp of Nigeria’s problems in order to help us solve the problems.

They will go to America and Britain for their university education totally unaware of what Nigeria is about, yet their parents think they are preparing them for future leadership in Nigeria.

our leaders all these 50 years to start doing things to make this country a better place for all; all they do is steal billions and carry them abroad, leaving youths and everybody alike impoverished and destitute. Enough is enough.

For unemployed youths, my advice is we must ALL start demanding from our leaders our rights. All leaders, from ward Councillors right up to the President of this country. Organise seminars, protests and let them know you are angry; let them know you can no longer condone their ruthless corruption.  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH