He seemed lost in thought but suddenly came back to life when our correspondent greeted him. “My brother, how now?” he said silently, just as he disposed the cigarette butt in his hand, managed to pull himself upright and threw a long yawn. He looked tired.
It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Desmond, as he would later introduce himself, stifled yet another yawn and appeared ready to listen, just as he wiped his face with his hands, reached for a dusty tract tucked somewhere in his dashboard and fanned himself in his rickety yellow bus.
His face looked relatively unwelcoming, and he was barely audible, but to a patient listener, he articulated his thoughts so well and sounded very eloquent. Desmond, 38, who is now a father of three, is first of all a graduate but has had to take up the job of a driver when he could not find a job. Thus, he depends on his little earning to sustain his family. Continue reading
To any careful observer, his frustration about his current status was conspicuously written all over his face but he tried so hard to hide it and managed to flash a brief smile occasionally while his conversation with our correspondent lasted. He was initially reluctant to talk but after much persuasion, he opened up.
Though a graduate of Marketing from one of the universities in Nigeria, Desmond now shuttles between Iyana Ipaja and Oshodi in Lagos State, and delivers a certain amount to his boss, who turns out to be one of the touts in the park. He reckoned that his inability to get a job for several months forced him into the job.
Desmond would later explain to our correspondent how humiliated he feels ending up hailing touts before he could make a living. As a bubbling young man, Desmond had dreamt of being a successful marketer, most especially having spent six years for a four-year course in school. Now, he didn’t just end up being a danfo driver, he pays homage to touts and other miscreants on Lagos roads everyday in order to have it smooth with his job.
To any careful observer, his frustration about his current status was conspicuously written all over his face but he tried so hard to hide it and managed to flash a brief smile occasionally while his conversation with our correspondent lasted. He was initially reluctant to talk but after much persuasion, he opened up.
Though a graduate of Marketing from one of the universities in Nigeria, Desmond now shuttles between Iyana Ipaja and Oshodi in Lagos State, and delivers a certain amount to his boss, who turns out to be one of the touts in the park. He reckoned that his inability to get a job for several months forced him into the job.
Desmond would later explain to our correspondent how humiliated he feels ending up hailing touts before he could make a living. As a bubbling young man, Desmond had dreamt of being a successful marketer, most especially having spent six years for a four-year course in school. Now, he didn’t just end up being a danfo driver, he pays homage to touts and other miscreants on Lagos roads everyday in order to have it smooth with his job.
God help Nigeria, we need employment opportunities
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