Okada Riding�- The other Job, for Osun Men.



For weeks now, I have had the singular honour of interviewing few okada men in ancient Ile-Ife town, in Osun state, and the result of the encounter and interaction shows that, okada riding is the umbilical cord for economic sustenance among low class town men, especially at a time like this.

At the okada parks, the first two men I met, work with the university, as office clerk and gateman, and eke it out of the town, with their okada.

To them, without this business, they can't imagine what life will be. Okada is a life saying hustling, they say.

Most close from work around 4pm and use their motorcycle to ply the town in two hours before leaving for home around 6pm, and make usually make no less than a thousand naira.

This, to them will take care of money to give their children the next day, while going to school and also to buy food for the next day as salaries are very little, and usually don't come as at when due. To them, this is the other job, a business that is a life saver.

I also met three other young guys as well, they are surprisingly not full okada men as one may have thought.

One is a bricklayer, and when he doesn't see jobs like that, he works in few hours in morning and also at night, and from this, he keeps soul and body together. The cases of the other two guys, are also not different from the first.

Surprisingly one of the other two is an HND graduate, who teaches in from morning till afternoon, and ride after school hours.

He told me he earns #10,000 from a school I know very well in the town. But the bike fetches him 3 times of his salary in a month, depending on how serious he is.

From these men, I was informed that if you work for 4hours+, you can conveniently make 3k. They cultivate the habit of making a daily contribution of thrifts, of 1k called (àjo) and keep the other 2k.

Asked about the stress in the trade, they laughed and replied that "which work is not stressful in this country? Even you the "alakowes", ain't you going through hard tines to get job done and experiencing mental tasking".

"I rest on Saturday and Sunday, one of them replied. If I can make 6k averagely from Monday to Friday, I'm okay. I also have a farm, so, some Saturdays I go there".

Can I do this business too, by buying an okada and give it out to someone to ride and deliver payment weekly.

One of the elder man replied, "My brother, it is not like it was before, no body will ride a bike and wouldn't want to make two times over you, the owner".

"In fact as university staff, I collected a loan in 2009, bought one and gave a church member to ride and what do I get form it? Complain over complain, until I sold it out".

He continued; "Look at this bike, I bought it Jan. 2015 and by Dec 2017, it will be 3yrs of usage and it's still look sparkling new, as you can see. If it's those boys, it may not last 6months before they start complaining"

He spoke further, "If you have someone trustable sha, you can make little gain but nothing is like using it yourself".

Okada business is no doubt a means of pulling through the economic distraught; one, where most artisans will be in their shops for hours, but wouldn't be proud of having 3 customers, and the same is for government workers, especially junior officers, whose salaries are usually meager to take care of their many responsibilities, and there are many others like that who had turned riding to the other job.

Above all, one advantage that motorcycle gives their owner, is easy access to quick money. If you own a bike, you can pick passengers anytime and any day, to settle your bills.

With increasing population and town expansion, it is not too much to conclude that okada business has come to stay, by plying places that other means of transport can not reach, and anyone that owns a bike, and can ride, can never go hungry.

#Lateef Eluyemi writes from Ife.
Cc: _thirstypen, naijacutee, dominique

GavelSlam:
Nice write up.

At least they are making an honest living.

Wish there were other vocations which could occupy them.

Yea, you're right.. That's what is important.