Salma Mohammed is the head, corporate services, Aso Savings and Loans. The banker, who considers herself a behavioural psychologist at heart spoke to BLESSING UKEMENA about her life, passion, work . . .
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The only child to a Nigerian father and Ghanaian mother, Salma Mohammed, a native of Jigawa, spent her childhood in the sprawling city of Kano. Rightfully so, she describes her childhood as “the best period of my life”.?
She had her secondary education at the Federal Government ?Girls College, Langtan, Plateau State.It did not take her a life-time to decide what to do with her life.
?“It was while in school that I knew what I would do with my life. So, I made friends and learned a lot. I knew what I wanted from there.?
?“I went to the Bayero University, Kano, where I studied accounting. During my service year, ?I ?served in Abuja with intercontinental bank ?and worked there for five years. I later went to work for Bond bank, which is no longer in existence.?
?“I went to England for a master’s degree in human resources, and when I got back I joined ?Aso Savings and Loans”.
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As head of the coporate services of Aso Savings and Loans, the unit of the bank in charge of branding, coporate communication, administration and human resources, the mother of four does not think combining both aspects of her life is so tasking. “There is, really, no challenge as pertains to my job. Every day comes with it’s own challenge. Dealing with humans is not exactly easy; it is probably the hardest thing I have had to do in my life. I think it is probably based on my personality, but I am actually able to deal with any human being ?who comes my way. “Human resources entails dealing with and managing all aspects of human performance in an organisation, right from recruitment to retirement. No two humans are the same. Every one comes in a different package. Every day, there are new issues you have to deal with, both personal and professional. so, the ability to do what they want and what they should do is a major challenge which I find motivating. In a situation where I do not have people coming to me to help them deal with issues or solve problems, I tend to get really bored”.
Considering the size of the bank, how are they coping with responses to the current promo which they initiated?
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“The ‘my House’ promo is basically about opening an account which makes you eligible to win a house. The promo is, first, to create an awareness for the bank and let people know that they can actually own their own houses through mortgages. Since people in this part of the world usually get their houses from inheritance or have to wait till they are financially able to afford one. It is of benefit, both to the individual and the bank.”
She tries to strike a balance between her job and the demands of motherhood. “I am mainly a fun-loving person. I do every thing with excitement, though I like to have my quiet moments. Managing my work and family is not a challenge for me. People ask me this question and I do not have an exact answer, but I know that I am very good at prioritising myself. I am a very detailed and time-conscious person. What I consider most important is staying connected to my kids daily. I rush home to spend some time with the kids in the evenings, help them with their home work before rushing back to the office. On days I cannot get away, I get them to bring the kids to the office so we spend time together. It can be tiring, but ?I cope”.
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Presently, she would not opt for any other job, but if she will have to do anything in the future, outside banking, it will be human related.?
“I would want to do some more courses. I love to read psychology, because I love to read people. I like to know what is happening in a person’s mind and be able to anticipate the next action. Whatever else I would do will be human related,” she said.
Does she ever find time to really relax? Well, “It does not happen everytime, but when I have the time to relax on my own, I love to read. I am the kind of person who can read about three books at a time. When I was much younger I would listen to music and read at the same time. Now I relax in a quiet place with a cup of tea and read a book. But with the coming of the i-Pad, I can read, play a game and listen to music at the same time.”
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When asked how she met her husband, she laughed, paused and said, “It was during my university ?days, at one of those shows they do in school. I went to get a drink and I bumped into him, spilling the drink. my reaction was aggressive, but he started apologising. From there we became friends. He offered to drive us back home and we all went along. He wooed me for a long time before we got together and the rest is history”.
?Bankers are usually power dressers, but Salma said she has no time for fashion, though she loves looking good like every other person.
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“I do not follow the current trends but I do my best to look good. In the mornings I am all made up, looking nice, but as the day progresses, my make-up wears off and I do not have time to replace it. My favourite jewelry is my wrist watch, because I like to keep track of time”.
So far she has had a good married life and she shared her opinion about societal opinion of unmarried ladies.?
“It is because of the emphasis laid by society on the woman. I am a liberal person, so I believe it is a man’s world. My husband loves me to enjoy myself, my work, but there are sacrifices we must make as women. Our society consider unmarried women to be unserious and that is a very wrong perception.?
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“I married quite early, but some of my friends who are still unmarried are not finding it easy. Married women are given preferential treatment. Ironically, this label (“unserious”) does not apply to the men. A man is allowed to stay single till he is 50, without much pressure, but a woman begins to feel the pressure at the age 25. If she does not, they begin to see her in a bad light. It is that bad. It is all about the society pressure not being focused on men and this is wrong in so many ways. Society has not been fair to the unmarried woman.”
Unlike some people who would rattle off a long list of dos and donts when asked for advice, ?Salma had just a word for every one: “Just be happy with yourself and with what ever you choose to do. Even when you are waiting at the bus stop or riding your car, enjoy yourself and be happy, because that makes all the challenges easier”.?
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