Ka yi hakuri, Dan Izala. While I get the context of your post, I must add that some of us come from cultures where we defer to elders through kneeling, squatting or prostrating, and that’s in no way a show of servitude or sycophancy.
When a Yoruba man prostrates to greet or a Nupe man squats to greet, it’s in no way intended to worship the recipient of such respect. We can oppose you as an elder this moment and still bow respectfully to greet you the next, and this courtesy is extended even to an unknown stranger, especially in our cultural setting.
If I secure a job for you & you kneel down whenever you see me, I’ll reset your head.
The only respect I want from you is to strive to learn the job, excel in it, and one day, secure a job for someone else, whether I’m still here or gone. It’s a legacy issue for me, not anything else.
Those I’ve had the opportunity to help secure jobs know this very clearly about me. I’m not bigger or better than anybody. This is not humility, this is the truth. The opportunity came, we made full use of it, and that’s it.
Maybe you’ll have to wait until I’m Sarkin Katsina before I can accept anyone prostrating or kneeling before me.
As someone who leans towards Izala teachings, there are things I put a stop to immediately when I see them.