Nationalisation, perhaps, brought elevation, upgradation and boon to the undeserving, inefficient, incapable, sycophants, it, without a single reservation, in many cases, severely damaged the initiative and cruelly hampered the zeal of the result-oriented, honest, diligent and devoted staff.
Narrated hereunder is the story of a professional whose prowess was well-recognised and appreciated and who subsequently faced humiliation, atrocities, and persecution at the hands of fortunate charlatans and thus became a victim of nationalisation.
I joined ESSO Standard Eastern Inc in October 1962, and took over the charge of Data Processing Section within four days. I had earlier worked in ARAMCO, Saudi Arabia's Data Processing Unit for nine years and then had gone to the United States to satisfy my burning desire of acquiring formal education. I earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Bryant College (now university), Rhode Island. In those days, people of my background and experience were not very common. My candidature perfectly fitted the vacant slot of Data Processing Supervisor in ESSO.
ARAMCO, where perhaps the only thing CONSTANT was a CHANGE, had provided me an excellent opportunity to acquire expertise on various machines constituting the Unit Record System. This system was essentially based on an Eighty Column Punched Card System. Data Processing Unit consisted of function-specific machines such as sorting, multiplying, sequencing/merging, reproducing, and printing, etc.
Functions of merging, reproducing, multiplying, and especially printing machines were monitored by their specifically wired Control Panels. A Data Processing man was expected to possess good knowledge of the wiring techniques of these panels. I had acquired knowledge of wiring techniques during my nine years' service in Arabian American Oil Company, Saudi Arabia.
As an in-charge of Data Processing, with all the imagination, acumen, initiative, and diligence on my command, I, inter alia, performed the following significant functions:
1. Wrote Operating Procedure Manuals for Machine Operators.
2. Co-ordinated import of continuous stationery from Japan.
3. Arranged installation of Counter Transfer Entry Feature by IBM World Trade on the Printing Machine.
4. With a view to decrease manual work and enhance the use of equipment, introduced Zero Balance-Batch Balancing System.
5. Improved the format of many reports especially General Ledger, Marketing Expense Ledger, Sale Statistics, and Stock Reports etc.
6. Mechanised, the then badly needed, Trade Accounts Receivable Statement of Accounts.
In 1963, ESSO Management Committee conducted an Organisation Review for which the Committee required data for current and previous periods in various formats. Because of my expertise in Panel Wiring (like programming on computers), I was able to produce Special Reports which not only immensely aided the Committee's review but also won me the recognition by other Department Heads (Members of Review Committee). My boss, Mr. Charles C. Hestand, Controller, told me that Committee Members were surprised to see the meaningful reports produced on the IBM Machines.
The Management appreciated my performance, and within 18 months of my service, gave me two increments, promoted to the next grade, and sent me to ESSO Bangkok for four weeks to review their Data Processing Systems.
I was then transferred to Manual Systems where I performed the following significant functions:
-- Maintained Procedure Manuals and when need be to develop and prescribe new procedures keeping in view Company's policy, Government Regulations, and Internal Control aspects.
-- Devised Coding Structures.
-- Designed new forms.
-- Arranged Training Seminars for upcountry staff.
In April 1967, I was further promoted to the next grade. Unlike the usual practice, the circular was signed by the then General Manager, Mr. R.W. Mitchell.
In September 1967, ESSO was relocated from Finlay House to Dawood Centre. I planned and monitored the shifting of IBM heavy machines to the eleventh floor of Dawood Centre.
In late 60's, ESSO engaged a systems manager who was at that time probably working in Caltex. The man appeared to be self-motivated and highly enthusiastic. Unfortunately I had to report to this extrovert who just hated my guts. Several new employees were hired since ESSO planned to convert to computerisation.
I was asked to write letters to IBM for sending new hires for computer training. Everyone but I was sent to IBM. This frustrating period was fortunately not very long. This extrovert himself did not survive very long in the organisation.
I was then transferred to supervise Billing and Receivable Units for a couple of years and then again transferred back to Manual Systems where, as a result of merger of three units, ie, State Oil, Pakistan National Oil, and Premier Oil, Pakistan State Oil Company Limited was formed. I issued consolidate coding structures of Customers, Sales Representatives, and Storage Points, etc. I also prescribed procedural instructions pertaining to then consolidated organisation PSO.
My last assignment in PSO was issuance of procedure pertaining to Centralised Product Delivery System from Keamari Terminals. Based on my in-depth study and the information obtained from Keamari staff, I formulated a draft which consisted of approximately thirteen pages. The draft was to be forwarded to the GM Finance through Controller Computers who held it for several days. Every two three days, the Controller would ask me to review the draft with him, but postponed it several times.
And finally, one day when he could not tolerate follow-up pressure from the GM, he called me to discuss the draft. The poor chap was probably unfamiliar with organised systems. When the review began, he started flipping the papers back and forth and asked questions. I instantly understood that he had not read the draft. He kept saying that it was all confusion, and finally asked me whether I had read the draft. I told him: I HAVE WRITTEN THIS. It was only due to Nationalisation that he was occupying a seat two steps above me. (He hailed from PNO) Very frankly, if logic and sanity prevailed, I would not have accepted him as my subordinate.
It is true that the organisations are heartless, but what would you say when a professional is humiliated to the core. For example, once an extrovert System Manager walked behind my chair and put his right foot on my table. I said to him that there was a list of telephone numbers alongwith the names underneath his foot and that I had a respect for the names of my colleagues. He said sorry and removed his foot. In another case the Controller-Computers, whom I challenge knew just ZERO about computers and was two steps above me, gave me his car keys and asked me to bring his son from Habib School. I could not refuse because I had a wife and five school and college going dependent children. He ventured to ask me only because he was cognisant of my precarious circumstances.
During my hay days (i) once the American Controller asked me to directly co-ordinate with the then Assistant General Manager, Mr. R.W. Mitchell, who wanted to introduce Trade Codes in the Sales Statistics Reports. (ii) In August 1964, I attended a seminar, sponsored by IBM World Trade, on Distribution Industry at Kuala Lumpur. (iii) In March 1965, I was sent to Bangkok to attend a 10-day seminar on ADVANCED SYSTEMS AND COMPUTERS. (iv) In October 1971, I was sent to then East Pakistan to devise their Cost Centre Coding Structure, and also to collect Marketing Expense Budget on New Coding Structure. The then East Pakistan Manager, Mr. R. J. Matelli, conveyed to Head Office his appreciation on my performance. (v) I used to be greeted with clapping by my colleagues when I walked in to attend the dinner parties.
Now circumstances changed for me. Verbal communications had become order of the day. I was verbally asked to move from Dawood Centre to Karim Chambers where I was seated about 15 feet away from the toilet. I was becoming more and more frustrated. I used to tell the company physician that I wanted to hit someone. I used to tell my family members that I was going to have a nervous breakdown or heart attack. My days of recognition had gone and I was lost in wilderness.
Despite my best efforts, I could not shut my eyes off from the sight of a person one grade ahead of me who was once on the same flight when I was, by virtue of entitlement, in first and he was in economy class, or a department head who was sometime back not entitled to use the washroom that I was entitled to, or from the instances of somebody asking me to bring his son from the school, or asking me whether I had read the draft which infact I had written. These detestable degenerates had attempted to hurt my intelligence, and demoralise me to the core.
They attempted to kill my zeal and initiative. They took away my smiles and sense of humour.... And they succeeded..... I had to decide either to continue in the pathetically disgraceful conditions which were the direct outcome of Nationalisation, or forego pension-like retirement benefits and resign. With a view not to further deteriorate my faculties, I decided to resign and became a VICTIM OF NATIONALIZATION. PSO at that time had no system for an exit interview.
It is pertinent to mention that after leaving PSO, I worked in some other organisations including Aslo Electrical Industries and also Pakistan Refinery where in January 1988, I single-handedly conducted Physical Inventory of fixed assets and streamlined the fixed assets register. Needless to say that this tedious assignment necessitated obtaining information from all Fixed Assets Custodians especially from Operations Staff who are usually extremely busy. Due to my pleasant relationship, each one of them graciously provided complete details of plant and machinery items in their respective units.
At the age of 58 years, the world renowned organisation, KPMG Peat Marwick, engaged me where I worked for ten years. I completed a total of half a century of engagements in Saudi Arabia, U.S.A., and Pakistan.