Chapter 3: Push Am Out

After work start, I don chop half day of HR mind games. My body just dey hot.

My head dey swell, like say small malaria wan start. Even my colleagues dey dodge eye contact. For this kain situation, na only person wey never see office wahala go say make you calm down. Hunger sef dey bite me, but my mind no dey food.

"Aunty Jessica, abeg, no need to dey turn around. Just talk wetin you want."

I no fit shout, but my tone don hard. For Naija office, sometimes you gats show small power for voice before dem go know say you no dey play.

"Nothing much. I just feel say you no fit this your current job."

Her reply dry like say she dey read script. I dey look her face, dey try find small emotion—nothing dey there, just cold HR face.

"I no wan waste time dey analyse where I no fit. Just talk—wetin exactly you want?"

I gree push am reach wall. No time for story. My face no even dey smile again.

"You go start to dey write weekly report, plus action plan on how you wan improve your work ability. And you go hand over part of your work."

As she talk, e clear say she don already plan everything. For this office, na commission dey give person life—if dem cut am, na suffer remain.

Sales job base salary dey small, na commission dey make sense. I know wetin HR dey do—she wan cut my pay so I go tire resign by myself.

For this country, dem go always find way to use your hand push you out so dem no go pay you anything. Na so dem dey do, especially when dem see say you dey chop better commission.

"If company wan lay people off and go pay as labour law talk, I go accept am."

I gree call law, make dem know say I sabi my right. For Naija, if you no talk law, dem fit use style sweep you go.

"No layoff plan, but if you wan resign, abeg, I no go stop you."

She smile small, like say she don win. Na so? She dey wait make I use my hand serve myself sack letter. Na Naija HR way be that—dem go push you tire, then say if you wan commot, carry your bag.

I don understand. All this mind game, HR just wan make I commot by myself so dem no go pay me anything.

She dey dream.

I no go gree make dem use my head cook pepper soup. Even my mama for village go curse me if I just waka commot without fight. My mama dey always warn—no let dem cheat you, Ifeanyi. Money wey you sweat for, no let am waka.

"Aunty Jessica, I no go resign by myself. If you wan make I go, prepare my severance pay, or I go carry am go community dispute council."

For Naija, council matter fit scatter table. Once dem hear say you wan carry matter go elders or Labour office, dem dey fear small.

I waka commot from meeting room. I no fit hear another word from person wey sabi only mind games and no get sense.

The way I bounce waka that day, people for office dey look me like say I get problem. But I no send anybody. For Lagos, na everybody dey fight him battle alone.

Back for office, I find my department manager, Mr. Tunde.

I no waste time, just enter his office, knock small before push door.

"You know say HR wan push me out?"

Mr. Tunde nod.

His face carry small pity, but I know say e no go fight HR for my head. For Naija office, manager dey always play safe.

"I just know today—dem tell me this morning. I try fight for you, talk about your performance, but dem say you must go."

He talk am like person wey no get power for matter. As e dey talk, e dey avoid my eye.

"I wan know the real reason."

I no want story, I want truth. For this office, if you no dig deep, dem go use you do mumu.

"Ifeanyi, na the thing be this. The new clients wey you bring now dey bring 50% of the company business. Dem feel say since contract don sign, na just to maintain am remain. So dem no wan dey pay you commission again. But since your contract guarantee commission, dem no fit just cut am, so the only thing na to force you commot."

He talk am with small voice, like say the wall get ear. I fit see am for him eye say him sef no too like the thing.

Now I understand. Na almost seven million naira commission every year.

Money wey fit build small house for village. All the sweat, all the late night waka—na for this?

After I don work finish, dem wan throw me away.

I just hold my chair, look outside window. If person tell me say na so office life dey be, I for no believe. Dem fit chop your sweat, then push you go, no looking back.

Nothing to talk again. I go fight till the end. As long as orders dey come, I go collect my commission.

Na my right. Even if dem like, make dem carry court come, I go stand.

If dem really wan push me out, dem go pay me severance.

As for Lagos life, no be today wahala start. Person wey get strong mind go always survive.

But I no know say HR get more dirty plans. E never tay, dem start another one.

For Naija office, once dem wan remove you, dem go use all style.