Rather than starve with her retiree
husband and 11-year old son, a teacher,
Mrs. Temidayo Fagbenle, took up
commercial driving in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Success Nwogu reports
For Mrs. Temidayo Fagbenle , a teacher in a
secondary school in Ilorin, Kwara State, the
saying that necessity is the mother of
invention is applicable. The school teacher
has to drive Kabukabu that is, an
unpainted taxi, to make ends meet.
Recalling how she became a commercial
driver – a task mainly undertaken by
illiterate and semi-literate men -she told
Saturday PUNCH that it was in her attempt
to find a solution to her financial
predicament.
According to her, though she receives a
monthly salary as a teacher, her family's
needs and that of some members of her
relations could not be met by her monthly
income.
She said that a day came that she was in
so much financial need and could not even
meet her own family financial needs that
she started thinking of a way out.
According to her, she was so broke that
she did not even have N100 in her purse.
She thought so much of a way to get funds
to meet her immediate need and suddenly
realised that her car, which she usually
drove to school, could generate additional
revenue.
Fagbenle said she quickly acted on the
idea and even before her husband, who is
a retiree and her child, a student in a
secondary school in Ilorin, could be
informed of her new business idea, she
had already gone 'picking' passengers and
made brisk business on the first day. She
was able to make enough to meet her
immediate needs.
She said, "There was a time I was in need
of money. It was such a precarious
situation that I did not even have N100 on
me. I had some pressing family needs to
attend to. I was in a fix on how to solve
the burden. I thought of something to do
but it wouldn't work, so I just took this
vehicle that day.
"I woke up around 6am. I went to Tanke in
Ilorin and started this kabukabu
(commuter taxi). Initially, I was afraid that
officials of the National Union of Road
Transport Workers could harass me since I
was not a member then. But I summoned
courage. Within one hour, I realised some
money. That was early 2011. That day, I
went back home before 7am because I did
not want people to know what I did.
"I was happy that the money I made that
hour solved my immediate needs that day.
But I stopped. I was thinking 'is it God's
will for me to be doing this type of work
for my secondary assignment'? I have a
child to take care of, though my husband is
there. With the situation in Nigeria, the two
hands should be rubbing themselves
together; husband and wife should be
earning an income."
Fagbenle said she went into full cab
business this year, plying the Maraba-UITH
route in Ilorin. She said that even the day
she went to register with the NURTW, she
had only N3,000 which was not enough
for the registration. So she begged the
official she met and promised to pay up
later. Having reached an agreement with
the NURTW official, she started and since
then had been finding her second job
enjoyable.
She expressed gratitude to her passengers
including those that had been passing
good comments about her, adding that
she had never had any problem with any
of them.
For her, the male drivers had never been a
problem as, according to her, they regard
her as fellow driver and even assist her get
passengers to board her vehicle.
"In fact, they like what I am doing. When I
have difficulty calling passengers, they
would even rally round me and then I
move on. I thank God. They are really there
for me as people that can help someone. I
can say that God sent them to me.
"They do not think about male or female
but they are there for me at any time," she
said.
The Kogi State-born, who is married to a
Kwara indigene, said she had not been
having problem with other motorists or
traffic officials.
She stated that her husband and child not
only encourage her but have been a
source of inspiration and support for her
driving business.
According to her, some of her colleagues
encouraged her in the kabukabu business
while others feel concerned. They wonder
how a woman could successfully
undertake commercial driving as
according them, such undertaking could
be very stressful.
"I thank God and I thank my husband
because if he did not allow me to be doing
it, I would not and it would hurt my
feelings.
"My son is in Junior Secondary School 2.
When I told him that I had joined the
NURTW, that I would be driving to Maraba,
he burst into laughter. He told me that he
normally sees a woman who also drives. I
said 'it is not a crime let me be doing it'.
"Any day I don't go, my son would say,
'Mummy you did not go out today'? I
would say I just want to rest.
"I like commercial driving. It is now my
hobby. A passenger one day asked me why
I was driving?' I told him that I like driving,
that it is my hobby. Even before I got my
driving licence, there was a time I boarded
a vehicle and the driver was a female. I
was sitting at her back and was imitating
her as she was driving.
"I combine driving with my primary
assignment, which is teaching. I do not
allow it to affect my teaching. I engage in
driving during vacation and after I have
closed school for the day. I teach in a
secondary school. As a woman, I normally
schedule my work. It is stressful but I do
not drive for a long period. I drive four
hours a day on my free time," Fagbenle
said.
She also appealed to husbands to support
their wives in their good ventures so that
they could maximize their potential,
contribute meaningfully to family and
societal development as well as feel
fulfilled.
"My advice to other women is, you know
women love dignity. If you want to
maintain your dignity and say because of
the job that I am doing, how can I be
driving? It is not only driving, there are
other jobs that they can start that are legal.
I would advise them to think properly and
succeed. It is not advisable for a woman to
be idle because they have need to buy
some things for their children.
Even some that are salary earners can
engage in some other businesses to
augment their salaries."
On some of the challenges in driving, she
said lack of money for regular spare parts
maintenance could be frustrating in
driving business, adding that regular
maintenance of a vehicle would keep it in
top form.
She said, "There was a day I was going
and the vehicle suddenly stopped. I later
discovered it was the battery because I
pulled up the bonnet. I was embarrassed
and was begging the passengers.
"But I was not sure what the problem was.
So when I opened the bonnet, I just
touched the battery and the vehicle quickly
started again. I was then ashamed. I felt
that I had delayed my passengers a little
bit."
Secretary, NURTW, UITH, Wapo Unit Okise,
Mr. Ambali Ajali, said Fagbenle had been a
good member of the union adding that
she is the only female driver in their unit.
Kwara State Chairman, Nigeria Labour
Congress, Mr. Farouk Akanbi, commended
Fagbenle for her foresight, enterprise and
versatility.
He stated that he had been encouraging
teachers to find alternative sources of
income to complement their salaries so
long as such ventures were legitimate and
would not conflict with their official duties.
Akanbi, who is also the chairman, Nigerian
Union of Teachers, Kwara State
chapter,added that NUT was willing to
assist Fagbenle boost her driving business
operations.
"It is something that I have always been
campaigning for; that teachers should find
a way of augmenting their resources by
whatever they can do that is legitimate.
Somebody who is doing that even as a
woman needs to be encouraged.
"I congratulate her and if we are aware at
the NUT level, we would be willing to assist
her so that many women can follow queue
from such kind of attitude and make ends
meet.
"If teachers can make additional income
outside their salaries in their spare time,
certainly they will be better for it and be
able to contribute more meaningfully to
the development of the education sector,"
Akanbi said.
Kwara State Commissioner for Transport,
Dr. Abubakar Kannaike, said the ministry is
willing to assist Fagbenle procure a new
vehicle.
He stated that women drivers are many in
some advanced countries but not Nigeria,
adding that such a woman should be
commended and encouraged.
"Her enterprise is very commendable. It is
not uncommon outside Nigeria that you
see a lot of females running taxes such as
airport taxis. Since we have one of our
own doing that, it is worth supporting and
it is a good example for others who have
the capacity and mental ability to cope.
People should do something to augment
their income," Kannaike said.