“She was not entirely wrong…” – Ex-UBA staff reacts to viral graduate’s greeting to Tony Elumelu

A former United Bank for Africa (UBA) staff member, identified as II Moses, has reacted to the viral incident involving a UBA Banking School graduate who addressed the bank’s chairman, Tony Elumelu, by his first name.

The graduate reportedly greeted Elumelu during a graduation event by saying, “Good morning, Tony,” prompting the businessman to correct her and tell her to address him as “Mr. Elumelu.”

The incident has generated debate online, with some Nigerians questioning whether the graduate was wrong to follow the first-name culture she had reportedly been taught during her training.

‘This Girl Was Not Entirely Wrong’

Reacting to the controversy, Moses said the graduate was not completely wrong because she had been trained under a system that encouraged employees to address colleagues by their first names.

“This girl was not entirely wrong, she just lacked sense. I went through the same UBA GMAP she went through and was taught to call our colleagues by their first name,” he wrote.

According to him, trainees were even given examples to demonstrate the practice.

“Yes, they will even give you an example and say the GMD is your colleague, so you can call him by his first name, but this is Africa,” he stated.

‘She Went and Called Her Chairman by Name’

Moses, however, argued that the graduate should have recognised that the situation required a different approach.

“She went and called her chairman by name: ‘Good morning, Tony.’ That’s too bad,” he wrote.

He maintained that, regardless of workplace training, employees in Nigeria generally do not address their superiors by their first names.

“You will never find anyone calling his superior by name,” he added.

Ex-UBA Staff Recalls His Experience

Moses also drew from his own experience while working at UBA as a Cash Officer.

He explained that even colleagues who were older than him still addressed him respectfully.

“While I was working with the same UBA as a Cash Officer, even those older than me were calling me ‘Oga Innocent,’ not just Innocent,” he stated.

‘She Wanted to Appear Audacious’

The former staff member identified what he considered the graduate’s biggest mistake as a lack of exposure and an attempt to stand out.

“Her biggest mistake was lack of exposure and the desire to appear different and audacious, thinking it would give her favour,” he wrote.

He suggested that the graduate may have believed her bold approach during the graduation ceremony could influence her eventual posting.

“During this kind of graduation, a lot of people got lucky, and what they did during the graduation ceremony influenced their posting,” he claimed.

“I feel that was what she wanted, to appear audacious, but then it backfired,” he added.

‘Why Didn’t She Follow the Format?’

Moses questioned why the graduate did not simply follow the approach adopted by other graduates at the event.

“It was simple, why didn’t she follow the format everyone else was following? Instead, she decided to call the chairman by name,” he wrote.

He argued that cultural expectations should have guided her response, regardless of the workplace training she had received.

“This man is old enough to be your father, even if he said you should call him by name, your home training should not allow that,” he stated.

‘She Should Have Read the Room’

Moses concluded by stressing that workplace rules should sometimes be balanced with awareness of cultural expectations.

“She should have read the room, this is Africa.”

“But which kind ogogoro she drank… Kai…

“Las las, we all go dey alright,” he wrote.

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