Working Lives: The Aboki Who Wants to Marry Off His Daughters after they graduate from Secondary School.

Working Lives: The Aboki Who Wants to Marry Off His Daughters after they graduate from Secondary School.

Not at all. I will sponsor my children’s education till they graduate from secondary school. Thereafter, the girls can get married and the boy can go out to hustle. No one in my family had a secondary education. So, seeing my children through secondary school will be a great achievement for me. Also, female children in my village who have secondary education usually attract rich men who would marry them.

What is your name and where are you from?

My name is Aminu Sule. I am from Babura Local Government Area in Jigawa State.

Tell us about your Education?

I attended Unguwar Ganji Primary School in Jigawa State. My dad married three wives who had many children for him. My dad had a lot responsibilities; feeding a large family and catering for their needs. It was not easy for him to sponsor his children through primary education. I knew my dad would not sponsor my secondary education even before I finished my primary education. So, I planned to focus on hustling after my primary education. About 80% of northerners, especially Jigawa indigenes do not understand the value of education. Most Northerners believe that education is a waste of time and money. The only thing my father taught his children was how to farm.

Tell us about your family?

I come from a polygamous family. My father married three wives. I am the sixth of fourteen children. My father is a farmer. My mother is a trader; she sells farm produce in a local market in Jigawa State. My siblings and their families live in my father’s compound in Jigawa State.

Are you married?

Yes. I am married with four children; two girls and a boy. I got married at a young age. I did not have enough money to take care of myself when I got married. But I got married regardless because I knew I would raise my family in my father’s compound; it is our tradition. Automatically, accommodation and feeding will be sorted. My wife and children reside in my father’s compound in Jigawa State. My wife is a full house wife, she assists my parents at the farm. She also assists my mother in her business.

Do your children go to school?

Yes, they do. My first daughter attends a government secondary school. She is in JSS 2. My second daughter is in primary three. My last child, a boy, is a toddler. He will start going to school soon.

Do you have plans to sponsor your children for higher education?

Not at all. I will sponsor my children’s education till they graduate from secondary school. Thereafter, the girls can get married and the boy can go out to hustle. No one in my family had a secondary education. So, seeing my children through secondary school will be a great achievement for me. Also, female children in my village who have secondary education usually attract rich men who would marry them.

What did you venture into after your primary education?

After my primary education, I joined my family to work at the farm. I also worked for a man who sold live stocks. I took care of the animals until they were matured to be sold. The man gave me a stipend each time he sold a live stock. I worked for him for about five years.

Why and when did you choose to come to Lagos?

I came to Lagos in 2002. After working at my father’s farm and rearing animals for five years, I decided to come to Lagos. I had no family or friends in Lagos but I came regardless. I spent three days journeying from Jigawa State to Lagos State. I slept on the streets of Lagos for years, in the cold and in the rain. I got a job as a levy collector at the Mile 12 market that period. I collected levy from trucks that brought in goods to Mile 12 market. My salary was based on commission. I did not make enough money from the job but I kept saving the little money I made. I chose to come to Lagos because I have always heard people talk about opportunities in Lagos and how people make money easily. Unfortunately, I experienced the opposite when I got to Lagos.

Also Read: Working Lives: The Trained Welder who abandoned Welding to Riding Okada

How did you start riding motorcycle?

After six years of working as a levy collector, I bought a motorcycle from my savings. It was a fairly-used product. I got it from a policeman at N120,000. The policeman needed quick money so he had to sell his motorcycle. Around that period, I got a job as a night watchman at a residential street in Ogudu. I got paid N20,000 monthly. I still get paid N20,000 monthly until now. So, I am running two jobs; I ride okada during the day and work as a watchman at night. Running the two jobs has been easy for me; once I resume at my security post at 7pm, I work till 10pm, thereafter, I close the gate to the street and go to bed. Those who live on that street get in before 10pm. I have already taken note of the rush hours so I work with my okada during those hours. I work with my okada from 6am to 11am and then from 3pm to 7pm before I resume at my security post. This was my daily routine before the ban. I make about N5,000 to N6,000 daily riding okada. I send my wife money at the end of every month.

Have you rented an apartment? or you still live on the streets of Lagos.

I live at Mile 12 market. It is not really an apartment; you could call it a hut. I live there with northerners like me. I do not believe in living in luxury, I just want to make money so I can take care of my family.

What came to your mind when you heard about the motorcycle ban?

I was not happy about the ban. The ban has affected me greatly. I depend on my monthly salary for now. We cannot even ride our okada to transport ourselves from one place to another without been exploited by policemen. These policemen ride their bikes with no interference from anyone, some policemen even carry passengers with their motorcycles.  It is not fair on us, there should be equal right for everyone. The okada ban should affect everyone including policemen. My situation would have been very tough if I did not have a second job. But I think the policemen are getting tired of chasing us, we give them bribes and they will allow us to work. In my area, we pay policemen N500 and they will allow us to work. However, they could seize your motorcycle and restrict you from working if you refuse to pay them.

Do you still work with your motorcycle even with the ban?

Not really. With the current ban, the best time to work is at night. But I cannot work with my motorcycle at night because of my night job. For now, I work only on days when the road is free of government officials. I usually call my colleagues to ask about the road before I go out with my okada. On days when the roads are free, I work for two hours; 6am to 8am. I basically ride my okada with fear this period. I work once or twice in a week with my okada and I make about N1,500 to N2,000 each time I work.

What is your take on motorcycle riders committing crimes with their motorcycles?

It is the duty of the Nigeria Police Force to go after those committing crimes with their motorcycles. Lagos is a peaceful state; you cannot compare the peace we enjoy in Lagos to what is happening in the North; killings, kidnappings, robberies, etc., these crimes are committed with motorcycles as well. I do not think the Lagos State government made the right decision by placing a ban on motorcycles. With all the atrocities being committed in the north by okada riders, the northern government has not taken such decision on them and I do not think the northern government can place a ban on okada. The northern government understand that the poor should have a means for survival. Crimes are not only committed with motorcycles; some people kidnap people and rob with cars and buses. So, the Lagos State government should look for another solution to reducing crimes, restricting okada riders to work is not the solution.

How lucrative is okada riding in Lagos?

Okada riding is a lucrative business. Okada does not consume fuel, you can make N5,000 working with N500 fuel. If you work from morning till evening, you can make about N7,000 even after paying agberos and other levies.

How is the ban affecting you presently?

I have not sent money to my wife in the last two months. This is because I have not been making enough money. My salary is not enough to take care of my family and myself. Salah is approaching and I still do not know how my family will celebrate. My intention was to travel to my village to celebrate with my family but I cannot afford to travel for now. Some of my colleagues are making plans to travel to their villages for Salah celebration. My N20,000 salary does not come every month. Sometimes, I get paid on the 15th of the next month. Before the ban, I made enough money to send to my family and also take care of myself in Lagos. Things are no longer the way it used to be with me due to the ban.

Also Read: Working Lives: The Farmer Who Became a Policeman After Secondary School

What are your plans for survival?

My plan is to take my motorcycle to my village if the ban is not lifted soon. On a second thought, I might not have to do that because okadas are gradually returning to the roads. I also have my security job to fall back to even if I do not work with my okada. My security job is my only source of income for now. I will keep managing with the little income I get from my security job. I hope the ban gets lifted soon so I can go back to working with my okada fully.

Do you regret not going for higher education?

No. We do not believe in education where I come from. I can tell you boldly that there are graduates who ride okada just like I do. So, what is the use of the education they spent years and money to acquire. However, I feel bad when I see my northern brothers suffer; some are being used as slaves, we get cheated at times. It is almost as if we are not Nigerians. This is why there is so much killing, kidnapping and all sort of crimes in the north; northerners are being sidelined because other tribes believe we know nothing since we are not educated. We might not fancy education, but we are smart and we will stop at nothing to get what belongs to us.

What do you think can be done by the state government to eradicate motorcycle accidents and crimes?

The truth is there is no place on earth where crimes are not being committed. How you manage the crimes is what matters. The only solution to reduce motorcycle accidents is that the government should provide full working kits for okada riders, this should include full-face helmet, protective jacket, knee protector and gloves. The government should enforce Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) or the Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps (LNSC) to monitor adherence to the use of the kits. I am certain the rate of accidents will reduce if government can implement this. However, I am not sure if crimes can be fully eradicated. There will always be bad eggs even among the good ones.

What are your future plans?

My plan for the future is to buy a car and run an uber business. I will also like to run a big transport business whereby I will buy a truck and use it to transport goods from the North to the South. Having a truck that runs between the North and South can make one a millionaire within a short period.  I have a lot of plans in my head but I have no money to execute them. Nigeria is a dream killer. Many people, especially young northerners have great plans but the lack of education and the way we were brought up hinder us from achieving our goals.