Bank awards long-serving staff

BANK South Pacific (BSP) recently held its annual long-service awards to honour 22 employees for services ranging from 25 to 40 years.
The 2020 long service awards was held in Port Moresby in conjunction with the BSP 2020 leadership forum.
BSP chairman Sir Kostas Constantinou and group chief executive Robin Fleming, representing the bank, presented the awardees of different branches, business lines and subsidiaries across the country and other Pacific branches with their awards.
The recipients received the awards acknowledged the bank for their long transformative journey and how they had grown along, thus, making the BSP family stronger with time.
Gabriel Ak, BSP Wewak branch manager, who served for 25 years, shared a life changing experience of his career when speaking at the awards night.
“Almost 30 years ago, I was walking the streets of Mt Hagen looking for a job, with only my grade 12 certificate in hand,” he said.
“It was tough to find any work and I decided that by the end of 1994, I would return to the village,” Ak said.
“By 1993, I had already done two entry tests with BSP Mt Hagen branch but none was to any avail.
“In 1994, I decided to do a final try of the test, if it was another letdown, I would give up hope of job hunting.
“But fortunately, I was blessed in my third attempt and joined BSP Mt Hagen on March 21, 1994.
“My first year with the bank was challenging, few months into my new role and the branch manager John Brutnall summoned me to transfer to Wabag sub-branch for a six-month exposure.
“I hesitantly refused because I was newly married and that it would be too risky for me due to ongoing tribal fights.
“The branch manager (Brutnall) didn’t trust a young man like me and requested that I should bring in my parents and my in-laws to see him.
“The very next day, I brought in my in-laws. He (Brutnall) then asked my in-laws in Tok Pisin, Wai na yupela les lo salem pikinini man go lo Wabag (Why do you refuse to send the young man to Wabag)?
“My mother in-law replied that it would be too risky for me in Wabag and I just got married to their daughter.
“If Brutnall persisted, I would have willingly resigned from my new job, but he then agreed and allowed me to continue at Mt Hagen branch.
“This was where it all began.
“After spending over a decade in the Highlands, I was moved to Port Moresby in 2007.
“This was due to an ongoing tribal fight in my village that went on for over 35 years.
“In the city with my wife and kids, things didn’t seem like we imagined it to be.
“We lived with wantoks and family during our first year but then decide to rent a small room.
“Our little room became our kitchen in the evenings and sleeping area at night.
“That did not discourage me from being faithful to the only employer that keeps my little family together.
“It was a long journey but seems just like yesterday.
“Now standing here, I am blessed and highly favoured to be working with a bank that has supported me and my little family for over 25 years.”