...With introduction by JOHN ODEY ADUMA, EDITOR AND BRITISH CHEVENING SCHOLAR
The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN needs to as a matter of urgency wade into this sort of enslavement going on currently in Nigeria, not only in the security sector, but in all sectors where foreigners actively participate in the country's economic activities milking Nigeria dry, paying little or no taxes, yet pay their Nigerian staff mere peanuts.
INTRODUCTORY NOTE BY THE EDITOR:
My two nephews working in a security firm and a Chinese restaurant were placed on a monthly remuneration of N10, 000.00 and N12, 000.00, respectively, but were never even paid sometimes up to three months in arrears, until I had to stop them and set up a business for them which in a week they now make more than their combined salaries of N22, 000.00 which is less than £100.00 for both of them per month at the current exchange rate.
I had to stop them from working in these foreign firms because it was too much of a burden on me - sending money to them for everything as if they both were not working. The only good the so-called jobs did was they had places in which to go every morning to kill the boredom associated with joblessness, but certainly not depression, as it was as disgusting and as depressing being treated like slaves in their own country.
Vigilance keeps receiving letters and tales of woes which Nigerians are experiencing on daily basis in the hands of foreigners and their firms...situations only comparable to the slavery and colonial periods, where indigenous Africans were turned into mere hewers of woods and fetchers of water in their various countries by the colonialists!
In the past we had received such sad tales and boastfulness as Lebanese, Chinese, Indians, Pakistanis and other Asians doing businesses in Nigeria take delight in telling Nigerians, "Although this is your country, we own it more than you do. There's nothing you can do to us here; we are more powerful and wield greater influences than your lots up."
The Interior Minister Mr Abba Moro, the Senate President David Mark and Speaker House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal MUST rise to the occasion just this week as treating citizens like slaves and monkeys in the only country they have to call their own is totally unacceptable!
Anyway, this can ONLY happen in Nigeria, where a small girl of 17 would be made to journey across the Atlantic by her 'expoliters' to go and tell the President of the most populous Black nation on the Planet Earth what to do.
Here again, I call for the professionalization of the security industry by estatblishing the NIGERIAN SECURITY INDUSTRY AUTHORITY (NSIA), the equivalent of the Security Industry Authority in the UK - the SIA which will organise and regulate the sector. In time past, I had again and again called on the Federal Government to so do - IF NOT NOW, WHEN?
But where is the Press in Nigeria, in all of this?
Ayewoh...telling it like it is! Happy reading:
THE ABOVE, as the topic implies, is sadly a true situation prevailing in foreign security firms operating in the country. This is sad because it is contributing further to the decline of the image of the security industry in the country and also a loss of confidence in these foreign security firms who have a reputation of standard quality operational procedures and management at least as portrayed in their company policy on their website in every country they operate in.
While this sad occurrence is acknowledged,it is however important to ask and find out why this is so,that is, Why these reputable foreign security firms should allow their company policy and SOP (standard operational procedures) to decline while operating in Nigeria (and other third world countries I believe).
This to my opinion should be seen to not only affecting our local security industry but also on the long term scale these foreign security firms. This is because they will be the ones to loose at the end. Nigeria is a lucrative environment for these security firms. The country boasts of a flourishing vibrant oil and gas industry which is expanding every day with a world class business growth. This means many players involved in the business growth and development, hence very many oil and gas firms with multinational operations which require and can hire standard security services which these multinational security firms stand to benefit from on a long term basis. This puts these multinational security firms on par with these oil and gas giants in terms of business operations and revenue generation. This is because of the simple reason: they offer services to these oil and gas firms!
Some reasons, to my opinion are however responsible for this decline in the staff policy of these security firms(which I stand to be corrected or further educated on without any sentiment attached because I believe we are looking for the way forward) and observation of this re-occurring situation in the operations of these multinational security firms which I wish to discuss briefly.
1. POOR STAFF WELFARE ADVICE
Firstly,there is the advice from employed indigenous managers to these expatriates to cut down,reduce or slash down workers welfare packages gradually because to these managers, it is a waste of company funds, until a time comes when there is no more incentive for the workers. This will eventually lead to a fall in SOP of the company because there will be nothing to stimulate the workers to excellence who will then only see the company on a declining mode and which have a negative psychological effect on the staff. On the contrary these welfare packages stand to promote the interests,commitment and productivity of the workers. It brings out the best in them and they are poised to uphold the SOPs of the company. This eventually will create a climate of efficiency,dedication and job satisfaction as it is seen in other advanced countries which these company operates in. This is also seen by the clients and can lead to further business growth either by extension and expansion of contract to other clients where necessary.
2. POOR ADVICE OF TAKING UNDUE ADVANTAGE OF THE LABOUR MARKET
These owners of the multinational security firms are poorly advised to take undue advantage of the teeming labour market because of the economic situation prevailing in the country by offering far lower wages than that of the company policy and comparing their wages to other indigenous firms. This is usually done with impunity,that is, a "take it or leave it" approach on the staff welfare. This measure gradually leads to job dissatisfaction and exodus of competent hands. The teeming labour market has not many skilled hands as it is usually assumed. Time and effort is needed to go back and groom these new hands to be up to standard. When unskilled persons are engaged for low pay it results in high staff turn over and a poor company performance and at the end the company suffers.
3. POOR ADVICE OF QUICK PROFITEERING
This appears to be another bait these firms get caught up in which is seen in the long run to be "a penny wise pound foolish" advice. Due to the same poor advice from persons who claim to know the "business terrain" of the country, influence the firms to take every measure possible to maximise profits which means reducing and cutting costs of company's expenses usually from the workers welfare packages and other incentives ranging from severance, leave, medical,pension,overtime etc, bonuses accruing to these workers. This is done with the promise to the expatriate owners of still delivering quality service from the workers. This only works for a short time before the diminishing effects of such decisions quickly takes its toll in the company in the form of declining client performance, strikes,protests and ultimately lethargy in the work force. This is because the effective service which is expected from the workforce demands these incentives which have been deprived from the them. Precious time, energy and valuable resources is then being used by the company to fight these "threats" which have arisen.
4. POOR ADVICE OF LISTENING AND CARRYING ONLY A SECLUDED FEW ALONG
This is also observed in the management of these foreign security firm. They prefer working with only a selected few of persons who most of the times constitute the many problems of the company with their narrow minded, selfish decisions which only suit themselves in contrast to the vast majority of the workforce. Many of these "advice" rendered are so unreasonable that one wonders how they will ever work out and also how these expatriate owners could allow such a thing. These selected few most times establishes a "kill and divide" approach to the company revenue and these expatriates turn a blind eye to the whole issue with the belief that things will not get out of hand if left like that. In contrast to this assumption,this creates only more problems because human rights when denied bounces back with a greater force than that with which it was suppressed leading to dire consequences.
Suffice to say that in a nut shell, in the light of these and on the long run of these issues, the expatriate owners of these multinational security firms are to receive the blame for this unethical business management because they have allowed it one way or the other. This form of management has never worked in any establishment without unpleasant repercussions, be it in any formal or informal establishment.
These security firms should take a cue from their Oil/Gas counterpart firms, who like them have multinational operations and also operate in the same geographical and economic environments, but have decided to stick to and maintain global best management practices, and see how vibrant their business operations/revenue have been consistent. This is because there is fair balance between employees requirements and company operations. They should also take a cue from those firms too which have decided to succumb to these influences and acted otherwise, how they fared.
A SIMPLE ADVICE
A simple advice here is that the standard staff policies of these foreign firms need to be maintained at all costs if they have long term goals for their services here. This is because the same policies which have led to their consistent reputation of excellence over the years in other places (countries) can still work over here and also can create very hugh potentials for business growth and expansion considering the lucrative opportunities available in the country.