From time immemorial, a relentless war has been waged by humankind against these virtues: diligence in work, sacrifice in work, and humility in work. How is this war against work virtues waged? Our society wages this highly damaging war by rewarding social status and people’s sense of importance in the name of rewarding hard work. We appear to mistake job titles for work virtues, status for excellence at work.
This is why we usually hear that a president of a country, a state governor, a chief executive of an organisation, a vice chancellor of a university, a perm sec in a ministry or any other such high-ranking officer is retiring and a valedictory event is organised for him to appreciate him for his “meritorious” service, whereas no such is organised for any low-ranking personnel such as a cleaner or messenger who must have put in his sweat and blood to ensure things work well in such nation, state, ministry, or organisation. The offence of such a low-ranking officer is simply his rank and social status, and not that he has put in less than his celebrated boss. In some cases, such low-ranking workers are the engine room of the workplace, without whom nothing will work. Think of the contribution of a security man without whom the organisation may cease to exist in the possible event of criminals looting its property including the working tools that keep the workplace alive. What of the life of the boss and other workers which may be at risk without the role of the gatekeeper?
At all those valedictory dinners and send-off events, everyone takes turn to testify of the uncommon diligence of the big boss, shower praises on him and thank him for his indispensable contribution to the growth of the enterprise. But then the full story will be conspicuously missing, and the full story is that the boss is merely the leader of a team of heroically hardworking clerks, cleaners, messengers and security men, who will never have the opportunity of being so publicly honoured upon retirement – no matter the number of years they would have put in service.
The problem that’s very evident here is that honour that should be accorded to dedication and hard work is being accorded to rank and status, and reward that should be given to humble service is being sacrificed on the altar of elitism.
It is exactly this same problem that we find with Nigeria’s national honours. Using the highest of all, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), as an example, it will be seen that the honour is accorded to anyone who becomes the president of Nigeria. Instructively, this happens once the person assumes the office, and not after he must have completed his tenure and has impressed us as an excellent president to deserve the highest honour in the land. What that means is that what is being honoured is not excellence in work and service but the prestige of the office.
Contrast it with what America does with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honour awarded to a civilian. How many of its presidents have been so honoured? Not all. That honour is reserved for very distinguished heroes within and outside America. The list of awardees is quite impressive containing names of world renowned leaders, activists, scientists, scholars etc. And the fact that many of them also got recognised at the world stage speaks volumes of the character of the award. Talk of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Martin Luther King Jr, and Thubten Gyatso, for example, who, in addition to receiving the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, also won the most prestigious Nobel Prize for Peace.
The war waged against work virtues permeates the fabrics of our society – from the public service sphere to the corporate world, and from our cultural to religious institutions. Humility and dedication to work is hardly recognised as against prestige of office and status of personality. This is one big act of injustice that we have relentlessly upheld.
As a moral evil, it’s crying to heaven for vengeance. As a social parasite, it’s destroying a very important part of the ethos that makes human society dignified, and thereby reinforcing a wrong worldview that has made all of us despise rendering true and humble service but desperately desire to occupy a prestigious office. For instance, look for who will do a community service of caring for sick people in a community you will struggle to find volunteers, but ask for who will “serve” as the community leader, you will be overwhelmed by the number of desperate contenders.
In 2021, my department in the university I schooled at and now work for organised her silver jubilee. As names of individuals to be honoured for their contribution to the growth of the department were being compiled at one of the meetings of the organising committee, names of some of the past HODs and other prominent individuals were coming up. At some point, it was argued that the award must not be elitist and ought to recognise others who served in lowlier positions even if as cleaners or clerks. One name came up: Ms. Dora Muo who served the department as a clerk from the time of its birth till just about a year before the jubilee. The name was penciled down. I am immensely impressed by the thoughtfulness and moral insight of those who made that argument. And I’m morally satisfied to have been among them. She died about a year after receiving this award. May her soul rest in peace.
Are you ready to join the advocacy? Yes, we’re all guilty of the fight against humble and dedicated work, but if you are ready to join the reverse fight, welcome aboard.
This is my meditation this midweek.
Henry Chigozie Duru PhD teaches journalism and mass communication at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.
This actually touched me especially where you said ” low ranking workers are the engine room of the work place without whom nothing will work” It got me thinking. Have I seen any sendforth or retirement party for a low ranking officer? No. I may have witnessed a few given gifts for dedication to service but even at that the person had to be head of that department like head cleaner. Even in churches, awards are given to people who make massive financial contributions. They are termed “people who contribute to the growth of the church”. But we have people who daily pray for the church,ensure its clean at all times, run errands for the church, work tirelessly to see that everything goes on well. Nobody acknowledges them until their demise or they relocate. Only then will they realize the person was useful
This is absolutely thoughtful and I’m in as well.
Ms. Dora Muo. I remembered her dedication to duty. Nice piece.
This is completely true. Rewarding status is done in almost every cooperate organisation in Nigeria