Influence and Integrity: Navigating the Power Dynamics

There is this common saying that money changes someone and that it is when they are in a rich position that they decide to treat people anyhow, and also, their character is revealed. It took me a while to understand that money doesn't change anyone, such individual has that attitude already in them, they just haven't seen a trigger to stimulate the other side of them and that is done when the money arrives. One thing I know is that whether one has money or not, when a person decides to be humble and exhibit a good attitude/character towards another, nothing will stop them.

The same thing applies to being in a position or with higher influence. Some people think being above or superior to others would mean they can act anyhow and be like a god that should be worshipped. These kinds of people do not respect others as they feel their power or influence would speak for them. They maltreat others in an unfair way and would keep ordering you around for their selfish interests and not consider your emotions.

These ones act like God and brag about their position, forgetting that tables do turn and someday, they will vacate such position while someone else takes over. It is how we treat or behave while in power or with higher influence towards people today that will determine how we would be treated tomorrow when our tenure is over because whether we like it or not, we can never be in a place forever. It's just time.

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I have had doses of such treatment from those who feel they could use their influence or power to delay our success and in ways, use it to their advantage because they feel less concerned about us. I am always pained when such things happen and because I do not have an option, I decide to endure and sometimes let it slide till I get what I want. But in other ways, I do have a choice and that is to stand on what my right is especially in situations, where it is affecting me, and that is possible when I have weighed the possible scenarios and benefits.

We all have choices as humans.

This particular experience of mine happened in the year 2015 when I had just finished my NCE program and needed a teaching job. I got one very close to my aunt's house where I lived with her. The proprietress wasn't the owner of the school but was managing it for a professor from the University of Ibadan. According to what I heard, the professor never failed to pay the workers' salaries at the due time which would be sent to her (the proprietress). We didn't know the woman was using the money to her advantage which was to further her Master's degree or so. We were owed for months until one day, I and my friend couldn't endure it again.

We thought of reporting her action to the professor himself but since we didn't have his number, the woman was acting so powerful on us and we couldn't fight for our rights at a certain point because there was no way we could report her. We kept coming to school, dancing to her instructions which she would give out without considering us, especially my friend who was coming from a far distance.

We didn't want to leave the school at first because it would mean no salary for us and we planned to find ways to collect our salaries and then disappear. We kept coming to school, my friend would borrow money to show up and she would complain to this woman about it but would pretend as if she didn't understand what she was going through.

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Her power was brought down unexpectedly one sudden day when we decided to show her pepper. If she thinks she has the power to withhold our salaries for months, then we also have the power to stop teaching until we get our salaries. We stood on that ground until she provided and gave us the complete money that same day. She had the money with her but decided to take advantage of us because of her position and the power she had, not knowing where one person's power ends, another begins. I can never forget that day. We showed her the other sides of us and what it means to not owe any workers their wages according to what the Holy Bible says.

I don't like being treated as if I am something else just because you are in power and have more influence than me. When I see there is nothing to do in a situation like that, I keep calm and accept my fate until I have gotten what I want, but in a case I have to go aggressively just like in the above story, I will do that because some people will take advantage of you and when you do not react, they see you as fool or nonentity unless you fight back and let them know the position they are bragging about will be taken from them someday. Life is so simple but with these kinds of people with higher influence and wanting to treat you as nobody, it gets hard.

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