Some days ago i had an early morning appointment in Victoria Island, Lagos and as i approached Law School Bus-stop i saw a late model, shiny black Toyota Landcruiser SUV idling there. I noticed that the DVD on the two front seats headrests were on so i felt probably the owner just stepped down from the car.

As i got closer and passed, i realized that there was a young man discussing with the driver. The next thing i heard was "Lekki 1st Gate, Lekki 1st Gate". Whoa, it just dawned on me that the driver of the car just negotiated with a tout to load passengers into the car for him. For starters it was very obvious it wasn't the owner of the car that was driving and probably not a child of the owner from his looks. He also didn't look like a mechanic, even if a mechanic, i don't think the owner sanctioned that transaction.

I felt pity for the owner of the car because wherever he was at that time, he most probably won't guess that his driver was using his car to ferry passengers.

I am not saying that one can not use such a car for passenger services but this particular transaction from the look of things was definitely not sanctioned by the owner of the car.

Many car owners who employ and use drivers to drive them and their family members or staff can never fully know the things their cars are used for once their eyes turn away.

But on the flipside i asked my self if the owner of such a highend car pays his driver well, will the driver still have the temerity to use such car without permission to run commercial transportation. And where was such a driver employed from?

Some Nigerians are fond of living in opulence of wealth and knowledge yet employing people of questionable competence and background to do very delicate and sensitive things for them. Just so that they can pay them pittance forgetting the saying that; "if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys to work for you".

But we also know that some of these drivers can be said to be very inconsiderate, some out-rightly wicked that no amount of salary and care from the employers is deemed enough to stop them from doing bad things to the cars or their employers. But i believe the employers should at the very least employ well trained people and pay commensurate salaries to them so that the blame won't fall squarely on them.

This act doesn't end at only using such cars to run commercial transportation, as some will buy less fuel and other parts than the boss provided money for. But the most dastardly aspect is when they buy sub-standard parts or use untrained personnel to fix such cars when issues arise thereby endangering the lives of the owners and their family.

Do you have your own 'horror' story of such situation?

How do you think one can mitigate against such?

We would love to hear from you.

Pictures: Toyota Landcruiser 2015 Model. For illustration purposes.


Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com


Lalasticlala
Obinnoscopy
Gazzuzz
Nurey
Myndd44

op you are a very wicked somebody, so driver cannot make a few naira on the sides? is it your land cruiser?

I will like to enter that kind car, same tfare but more comfortable sitting abeg go iyano woro, you go see Porsche enter to lekki sef

Its is a very bad practice as if its my car too, i wont like my driver to do such with it. Its the kind of country we find ourself in, poverty in the land has made everyone to try and make money anyway or anyhow they can, if you interview the driver now, he will call him self an entrepreneur nonsense

nurey:
op you are a very wicked somebody, so driver cannot make a few naira on the sides? is it your land cruiser?

I will like to enter that kind car, same tfare but more comfortable sitting abeg go iyano woro, you go see Porsche enter to lekki sef

Its is a very bad practice as if its my car too, i wont like my driver to do such with it. Its the kind of country we find ourself in, poverty in the land has made everyone to try and make money anyway or anyhow they can, if you interview the driver now, he will call him self an entrepreneur nonsense

Lol. Entrepreneur indeed.

Op, u never travel without your car before. Come Kaduna Abuja road, we travel in 2016 range rover for 700 Naira. This no be news na

ironheart:
Op, u never travel without your car before. Come Kaduna Abuja road, we travel in 2016 range rover for 700 Naira. This no be news na

A client once told me of a story of a driver who was commissioned to take a brand new Gwagon to abuja from Lagos. The driver took off with the car and took passengersa to Kaduna and on his way back, picked passengers to Lokoja before he decided to return to abuja. There was too much agony as his phone was switched off. He spent one month in prison for that act. The bottom line is greed. There is no justification for that act. As long as the driver agreed to the salary, there is no more excuse. They believe that because the oga is rich, he should be giving him more money. I also once had an encounter with a driver and his oga. The man was an SA to a minister and his jeep was misbehaving. I scanned the car and discovered the fault. As I was about telling the Oga the issue, the driver quickly confessed to me that he was the one that removed the fuse because he was broke and he slept in his Oga's house for three days because he had no transport fare to go home. He begged for 5k and gave me the fuse. Greed at work

sooperrescue:

A client once told me of a story of a driver who was commissioned to take a brand new Gwagon to abuja from Lagos. The driver took off with the car and took passengersa to Kaduna and on his way back, picked passengers to Lokoja before he decided to return to abuja. There was too much agony as his phone was switched off. He spent one month in prison for that act. The bottom line is greed. There is no justification for that act. As long as the driver agreed to the salary, there is no more excuse. They believe that because the oga is rich, he should be giving him more money. I also once had an encounter with a driver and his oga. The man was an SA to a minister and his jeep was misbehaving. I scanned the car and discovered the fault. As I was about telling the Oga the issue, the driver quickly confessed to me that he was the one that removed the fuse because he was broke and he slept in his Oga's house for three days because he had no transport fare to go home. He begged for 5k and gave me the fuse. Greed at work

you have said it all. But the oga's need to take adequate care of there drivers

sooperrescue:

A client once told me of a story of a driver who was commissioned to take a brand new Gwagon to abuja from Lagos. The driver took off with the car and took passengersa to Kaduna and on his way back, picked passengers to Lokoja before he decided to return to abuja. There was too much agony as his phone was switched off. He spent one month in prison for that act. The bottom line is greed. There is no justification for that act. As long as the driver agreed to the salary, there is no more excuse. They believe that because the oga is rich, he should be giving him more money. I also once had an encounter with a driver and his oga. The man was an SA to a minister and his jeep was misbehaving. I scanned the car and discovered the fault. As I was about telling the Oga the issue, the driver quickly confessed to me that he was the one that removed the fuse because he was broke and he slept in his Oga's house for three days because he had no transport fare to go home. He begged for 5k and gave me the fuse. Greed at work

Hahahahaha. It's not funny ooo, but the man's greed is out of this world. I can't help laughing out loud.

The SA's driver is capable of planning his kidnap.

PaperLace:


Hahahahaha. It's not funny ooo, but the man's greed is out of this world. I can't help laughing out loud.

The SA's driver is capable of planning his kidnap.

That is the mentality on ground. I used to tell Policemen on the highways when they are complaining about poor salary as the reason for their bribe taking that even if they are paid 1m a month, they will still ask for bribe. The Bible told them and us to be content with our wages and until that simple obedience is followed, high bp and other associated ills, that the Bible mentioned in Duet :45 will continually plague mankind. Jesus told us of the story of the hired men who were hired at different hours of the day and the amount settled before they started work. Those who were paid for the morning work,grumbled about the matter were rebuked . It is the same nowadays. If 45k is not enough for today's drivers, 100k will never be enough.