Henry Pender is a
graduate of Political
Science from the
University of Ibadan.
Pender graduated in
2000 and has worked
as a banker, yet he is
among the about 100
graduates
undergoing training
to become truck
drivers; or rather
logistics assistants.
Pender is also the
class governor of
this first batch of
trainees.
"After my service, I had
the privilege of being
retained at the Rivers
State Primary Education
Board where I did my
primary assignment.
I was with them for
about a year before I
joined the All States
Trust Bank, which is
now defunct. I worked
with them for three
years before I joined the
Ecobank, from there I
moved to the Oceanic
Bank before joining
Ecobank again after the
acquisition of Oceanic
Bank by Ecobank.
"I had to leave the
banking industry when I
married my colleague,
because the human
resource policy then did
not allow spouses to
work in the same office.
I felt that my wife
should stay behind
while I as a man would
look around for
something to do. It
wasn't easy, because
the job was not
forthcoming as I
thought. I attended a
couple of interviews at
different places, but I
didn't get what I was
looking for.
"When this opportunity
of becoming truck
driver with Dangote
presented itself, I applied
with open mind. I felt
that this is an
opportunity for a new
beginning to move into
a new paradigm that is
not explored. We have
just begun the journey
in the Nigerian Institute
of Transport
Technology (NITT). I
was pleasantly
surprised when I came
here to see people from
different backgrounds
and professions.
"We are all getting along
very well. I am looking
forward for an
experience that would
improve our larger
society. Dangote has
put something in place
that would turn out to
be a revolution in the
transport industry in
this country. I think this
programme would
eventually become a
model that all
organisations of
international standard
would adopt in no
distance future.
"From personal point of
view, I like driving. I
have driven a lot since
when I became a
professional driver and I
like travelling. But by
coming here, I have
been exposed to the
academic side of
driving. I feel that
whatever I do as a
graduate, there should
be a level of expected
difference from what a
layman would do. I
think the objective of
employing graduates as
drivers is for sanity to
be restored on our
highways. Most of us
are victims of the
recklessness of heavy
truck drivers and this is
what this initiative wants
to address. We are
being trained here to
become complete
gentlemen as drivers,"
Pender said.
He explained that he
has, essentially, decided
to join the truck driving
profession out of
interest not for material
reward.
"As at the time we had
our interview, there was
no mention of any
material reward. It is
now that we are hearing
that after a successful
driving for a certain
period, or covering of
certain mileage that one
would own a truck or
things like that. No such
thing was mentioned;
there was no mention
of special incentives
rather than we would
be employed and paid
salaries.
"What I would say lured
me into joining the truck
driving profession is the
name Dangote that is
known locally and
internationally. I bet you
that if it were some
other companies that
came up with this
initiative, some of us
may not be here but the
mention of the name
Dangote, one would
know that there is
quality; there is a
personality behind it;
there is international
recognition; that is what
lured most of us here
beyond any other
material gain.
"We only discovered
the entrepreneurial
incentive of this
programme when we
came here; when most
of us have completed
their registration. Being
somebody who had the
experience of the
banking sector, I would
quickly join Dangote,
because I know I would
have job security and
we are enjoying
ourselves here in the
NITT as the pioneer
batch of this training
programme. I never
knew there is an
institute like the NITT in
Nigeria. We are grateful
to them for the
knowledge they are
impacting in us.
"I want to also use this
medium to urge the
youth of Nigeria to work
hard. We have to make
names for ourselves by
working hard as it is not
all of us who are
children of the
privileged, therefore we
are here as part of our
dignity of labour. I
would rather stay here
and do this work than
apply for visa to go
abroad and face all kinds
of humiliation by
washing toilets or
driving taxi while I have
a similar option here,
which I would do with
dignity and leave a good
example for the
upcoming ones,"
Pender explained.

source www.m.naij.com/news/14230.html

its a good start. i expect the level of professionalism to drive innovation in that sector...and perhaps reduce the almost annual casualties caused by those trucks!