CORPORATE ABOKI: MY FIRST JOB – HOSPITAL STRAIGHT
DIARY OF A CORPORATE ABOKI
DCA is a true life story of a young man working in Lagos who anonymously shares the unconventional and probably humorous side of his work experience in Lagos. He writes every other Friday.
Yaya dei
Welcome to the first edition of my diary. I style myself Corporate Aboki because of my probably carefree lifestyle.
I got my first job in one of the tush companies in Lagos, shortly after graduating from school, even before going for NYSC.
I found many things interesting. Yeah, good food for lunch. The informal gists with fonee speaking colleagues. I tried twisting my tongue too, make dem no think say aboki no dey speak turenchi, but my aboki accent no gree. I don improve sha.
The craziest thing was getting to work – crazy traffic. Having being used to strolling to classes in the university, adjusting to working life wasn’t easy. In the university, I used to go back to bed after my 5.45am Muslim prayers, and sleep till like 7.30am before preparing for classes. I can prepare for and get to class within 30 minutes after all. And I can choose not to attend classes, anyway.
But working in Lagos – my first post-school – was a different ball game. Not funny at all.
I stayed at a very far distance. I had to leave home by 5am every morning, sometimes having to do my Muslim prayer on the road. Of course I was hopping public buses, most times. I still struggled to get to work by 8am. Almost 3 hours on the road, every morning.
Work hours was officially 8-5pm, but with a caveat that “you may be required to work longer hours”. Well, that should actually be the rule, not the caveat. It was long hours everyday. 5pm? The work was just starting. 8pm? Okay, you may be free to go home then. And I spent between 1 to 2 hours on the road in the evenings too. Most times I got home after 10pm, sometimes after 11pm.
It didn’t matter whether there was oro (late night fetish activities in some Lagos communities with prior announcement on restriction of movement after a certain time in the night) in the suburb of Lagos I was staying. Wetin you go tell Oga? “There will be oro in my area today so I have to leave by 7pm to get home before 10? “
Well, guess where I landed on my fifth day at work?
Hospital.
I just sent an sms to my direct supervisor that I wouldn’t be able to come to work that Friday – my first Friday. I spent the Friday at the hospital. Too much stress.
See you guys in a fortnight.
CA
***
Subscribe to JarusHub for more updates on careers and job tips
[subscribe2]
What a typical story of a life in the restless city of Lagos.
I had a similar experience when I was having my entry level training with one of the top 5 banks in Nigeria.
Leaving home 5.am and getting home 10pm on the average became the order of the day for 18 weeks non – stop. I never knew I won’t die.
Relieved came my way when I was posted to the far north – ancient city of Kano. Kano, though like Lagos but can never be like Lagos. I leave home 6:50am and get to work 7:10 am worse case scenario.
Lagos, for me is like a hell.
I also experienced this during my service year in Lagos. I was posted to NAPIMS in IKOYI and I was staying at Agbado Ijaiye, I didn’t use two weeks before I fell sick. I woke up by 4am, you must be on the road by 5am and I won’t be back at home until 10pm, sometimes 11pm, ko easy at all. I spent all my pre NYSC years in Abeokuta.