Thirty minutes later, I have another call, same person. He asks if we are twins, I answer affirmatively. He laughs and says he was irritated when he told me I’d been successful and all I could think about was my brother. He said everybody he had called that day had been ecstatic and screaming on the phone, but not me. He said he was not working with files, not a list and that’s why he had no answer for me when I asked and had just gotten to my brother’s file. He said, “tell your mummy to cook edikan ikong, you were both selected for the second stage” My joy knew no bounds.
198 names of the successful applicants were published in all the National dailies with an invitation to the second phase of the recruitment. Then the doubters came to sow their seeds. “They can’t employ two people from the same family”; “only one of you will be chosen”; “your State has its own geopolitical zones to cater for”.
Finally, we arrive in Abuja. We are again tested before the interviews. My neighbor in Lagos Mrs Adeyemi Wilson worked for the PAD department in Abuja, after the second test, we go to greet her before the interview, and she gives us a very intriguing piece of advice, “at this point, your knowledge and intelligence is not in doubt, you passed the initial test, what they will be looking at is your attitude and composure, be confident”.
During the interview, we converse with those who go in before us, some guys talk, others refuse, why give us an advantage, I notice all the questions are different. One applicant was so lucky, only one question. He studied Computer Science and he was asked what the major issue was with computers that year, he answered “Y2K virus”. Interview over. One constant, at the end of the interview all applicants were asked “Do you have any question for us?” Most asked “Did I pass?
My turn comes, question starts from Geology, I smile and answer and the questions flow from there. I’m nervous but do a decent job of hiding it, after a while, I get comfortable with the panel. Just as I think all is good, someone asks me “Where do you see yourself at the peak of your career in NNPC?” I confidently answer, at the top job in the Corporation. The same guy asks me “What is that position called?”
If you had asked me that question before the interview, I’d have confidently answered “GMD” but now it was like my brain froze, I knew the answer but couldn’t just grasp it, so I blurt out “Director”. They all have a good laugh. I’m asked to keep guessing, each wrong guess provides further jest for them.
While guessing, I was laughing along with them, all smiles, for some reason, I didn’t panic. I guess at that point I didn’t care anymore, if it’s gone South, it’s gone South. When they are done, I ask what the position is. I’m told that I’m the one that wants to get there so I should find out. Then the inevitable question comes, “Do you have any question for us?”
At this point, I just want to go collect the thirty thousand Naira that the Corporation was generously providing to each of us at the end of our interview for logistics and go drink beer and drown my sorrows, so I politely declined to ask any question. One of the panelists says, “you’re the only one who hasn’t asked a question, all those before you did”. I remember what most had asked so I tell him “I’m sure they all asked if they passed, you won’t tell me so why bother?” Another round of laughter and I’m off.
My brother is last. He had the longest interview, twice the time of everybody. One of the panelists asks him “You know we can’t take both of you, so who should we take?” He says, “Take my brother”, he’s asked “Who’s older?” He replies he is, panelist says “look at you, you’re feeling like older brother”. We leave to drown our sorrows. We are certain it’s over for both of us.
The Panel
On the panel were the topmost positioned Nigerians in all the International Oil companies, the retired Managing Director of the defunct National Oli company who had employed Giaus Obaseki as a Graduate Trainee, select NNPC top management and a KPMG representative. The people that constituted the panel could never be influenced. They made the final selection for the 100 who were finally invited to resume in April 2000.
These series of fortunate events led to the employment of my twin brother and I by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation against all odds. We took our mother’s advice and gave our best. The rest is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
