41 Employee

My God!" Screamed one of them we've got to work in your company!.

They all suddenly decided that they would abandon their present employment and work in my company.

'Right' I said. We will need to iron out certain things. The 'Ali company belongs to a man called Mohammed Ali and....

Umar!, screamed three of them simultaneously We cannot work in Mohammed Ali's Company!

He is too strict!' The applicant Tukur cut in to say that he was ready to work in the company even if Mohammed Ali was strict.

There was a momentary silence.

Then I said, 'He is strict.

That's true. But nobody can be more generous with money than him. He will pay you N500 monthly, apart from other miscellaneous allowances you'll get." They looked at each other and considered this for sometime.

After some consultations with each other, they decided once more that they were ready to work in Mohammed Ali's Company.

'Good' I said. "As I told you, we will need to iron out certain things.

They asked to know those things that we would need to iron out.

The company belongs to Mohammed Ali.

Mohammed Ali admits only people of great integrity. He gives jobs to gentlemen only.' I paused to see their reaction. There was no reaction.

This encouraged me to continue.. You will have to stop drinking and smoking once you are employed in the Company.

The reaction was immediate. 'Shit!' shouted one of them.

'Nonsense!' said another.

"Rubbish!" said a third "Mohammed Ali or what ever he calls himself must be a joker.

The three bachelors debunked the criteria given to me by Mohammed Ali, an told me they were satisfied with their present jobs. I was thoroughly discouraged.

It was only Tukur who agreed to comply with the criteria. I stood up and told him to follow me to my car where he wrote down his home address for me. "You'll wait for me in your house at 9 a.m. I will come to your house and give you your appointment letter.

He agreed to do so although i could see that he was sceptical.

I left Club D and drove to St. Patrick's Cathedral which was situated somewhat near the State Secretariat. The time was 5 p.m. My idea was to wait in the premises of the Cathedral until 5.30 p.m.

when the evening Benediction would have been over so that I could consult the Benediction attenders and see if they needed jobs in Ali Group of Companies. My guess was that 1was more likely to get people who did not drink or smoke from among church goers than from a hotel.

At 5.30 p.m. nobody came out of the Cathedral. The Benediction still continued so I entered the Cathedral, made a sign of the cross and took a seat beside a reverend sister.

Although everybody in the Cathedral concentrated on prayers, I was engrossed with the thought of

how to recruit men of integrity into Mohammed Ali's Company.

The reverend sister by my side gave me a leaflet which she was reading. It contained information on church wedding between one Mr. Adeyi Oche and Miss Enekole Abah. I did not have the least interest in the information therein because I had a bigger load on my head now then attending wedding.

All the same 1pretended to be reading it with interest because it appeared to me that the reverend sister was almost supervising my reading.

At about six o'clock the reverend father gave a final blessing from the altar and the congregation began to troop out. I came out with them and engaged three young man and one girl conversation.

The conversation did not take the trend I wanted it take. While I was complaining about the harsh economic situation in the country and lack of employment, they were talking to me about lent and the Holy Eucharist, things about which all my

former knowledge had vanished.

Then one of them suddenly told me that he was seeing me for the first time. I lied to him that this was possible because I attended St. Augustine's Catholic Church in the GRA and not St. Patrick.

I quickly proceeded to introduce myself as the Assistant Managing Director of Ali Group of Companies and the recruitment boss. The people reacted facially as if my job was at odds with church principles. 'I am looking for people to recruit into my company, I 'said.

All of them expressed interest in being recruited. I gave them my flat 29 address and told them to check me up in my house at 7.30a.m. the next day. Do not keep African time' I said humorously.

They promised not to keep 'African time' and we departed on this note. Feeling satisfied with myself so far I went to my car and drove away.

hello 🤗 Guys sorry for the late update

have Alot of things to do...

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