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| Baba Bose |
As you climb the bridge, his pitiable condition is bound to attract your attention. And when you try to engage him in a conversation, you will be amazed at his good command of the English Language. But Baba Bose, as he prefers to be called, is not just a beggar.
He is a peculiar one. At the pedestrian bridge at Ijesha-Tedo Bus Stop, along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos, where he has domiciled for over 25 years, Baba Bose is seen as ‘a worthy landlord of the bus stop.” He remains there during the rainy or dry seasons, begging passers-by for alms to make ends meet.
Despite his challenges, he ensures he picks all the litters around the bridge and makes the place tidy. This self-imposed assignment, however, has not only endeared him to many passers-by, but also, it has portrayed him as “a man of refreshing candour.”
He has been seen around the bus stop dating back to the late 80s and early 90s. Then, he was full of energies and bubbling with life. But the story is not the same today, as Baba Bose has lost so much weight, resulting from ageing. His head is covered with grey hair.
At 67, the veteran beggar has spent all his life on a corner of the street, begging as that is the only way he could raise money to survive. Some say he could quit if he wanted. When Saturday Vanguard visited him, at the bus stop, during the week, Baba Bose who hails from Sabon Gari, in Kano State, took time to recount his pathetic story. His wife is Yoruba
Like every other person, Baba Bose said that as a child he was full of dreams and was looking forward to making his parents proud. But this was never to be, as he became paralysed as a result of an injection that was given to him at a hospital, where he was taken to, by his mother when he was hit by a strange sickness during his childhood days. All efforts by his parents to save him from the agonizing situation failed, thus leaving him to his fate.
“I was not born disabled. But I found myself in this condition because of an injection that was given to me when I was a child. My mother told me that when I was sick, she took me to a hospital where I was given an injection that paralysed my two legs,”he began.
According to him, his parents tried their best to save him from this agonizing situation but to no avail. “They gave up on me, and that’s why I am in this condition today. I was born on June 13, 1948(67 years). I am married with five children and I live in Ejigbo area of Lagos. I come all the way from Ejigbo every morning to Ijesha bus stop. I have an okoda rider that usually conveys me to the bus stop,”he narrates.
Narrating further, Baba Bose said, when he became an adult and found himself in this condition, he did not give up hope, as he secured a job with the Ogun State Education Board, as an Accounts Clerk. But when the salary was not forthcoming, and given his condition as someone who could not do other things to help himself financially, he opted to embrace begging as a means of making ends meet.
“At that point, people were dashing me little little money to survive and when I put everything into consideration, I said to myself it is better for me to be on the street begging than to be parading myself as an office worker. “
Even though he doesn’t like what is doing for a living, Baba Bose said, he had no choice since he could not be employed by any organization. However, he does not only live on begging. As a matter of fact, he’s into the business of buying and selling of locally made foot wears too. “ With the little money I make from begging, I decided to go into the business of buying and selling of foot wears. My wife goes to the market to make the purchases and display them for me to sell. This is what I have been doing for many years now.”
Though Baba Bose may not remember exactly how many years he has spent at the bus stop,some residents of the area testified that they started seeing the Kano State-born beggar at the bus stop from the late 80s.
At that time, gossips had it that he had bought cars and built houses all over Lagos. But judging from his recent looks, the veteran beggar cannot boast of providing for himself and his family. With age telling on him, Baba Bose’s immediate concern is how to provide for his five children. He’s today gripped with fear of the unknown as he wants to do everything within his power to secure the future of his children.
Unknown to many, Baba Bose is a trained teacher. According to him, he attended teachers training College and worked briefly as an Accounts Clerk with the Ogun State Education Board.
Though he did not reveal the school he attended, he promised to produce his Teachers Training Certificate to silence any doubting Thomas. For his condition, the 67-year -old beggar would have loved to return to the classroom. But he wants to continue with his business of buying and selling of foot wears. In this regard, he is appealing to well meaning Nigerians and corporate bodies to provide him with a rented store and small amount of money to boost his business so that he can fend for his five children.
Despite his challenges, he ensures he picks all the litters around the bridge and makes the place tidy. This self-imposed assignment, however, has not only endeared him to many passers-by, but also, it has portrayed him as “a man of refreshing candour.”
He has been seen around the bus stop dating back to the late 80s and early 90s. Then, he was full of energies and bubbling with life. But the story is not the same today, as Baba Bose has lost so much weight, resulting from ageing. His head is covered with grey hair.
At 67, the veteran beggar has spent all his life on a corner of the street, begging as that is the only way he could raise money to survive. Some say he could quit if he wanted. When Saturday Vanguard visited him, at the bus stop, during the week, Baba Bose who hails from Sabon Gari, in Kano State, took time to recount his pathetic story. His wife is Yoruba
Like every other person, Baba Bose said that as a child he was full of dreams and was looking forward to making his parents proud. But this was never to be, as he became paralysed as a result of an injection that was given to him at a hospital, where he was taken to, by his mother when he was hit by a strange sickness during his childhood days. All efforts by his parents to save him from the agonizing situation failed, thus leaving him to his fate.
“I was not born disabled. But I found myself in this condition because of an injection that was given to me when I was a child. My mother told me that when I was sick, she took me to a hospital where I was given an injection that paralysed my two legs,”he began.
According to him, his parents tried their best to save him from this agonizing situation but to no avail. “They gave up on me, and that’s why I am in this condition today. I was born on June 13, 1948(67 years). I am married with five children and I live in Ejigbo area of Lagos. I come all the way from Ejigbo every morning to Ijesha bus stop. I have an okoda rider that usually conveys me to the bus stop,”he narrates.
Narrating further, Baba Bose said, when he became an adult and found himself in this condition, he did not give up hope, as he secured a job with the Ogun State Education Board, as an Accounts Clerk. But when the salary was not forthcoming, and given his condition as someone who could not do other things to help himself financially, he opted to embrace begging as a means of making ends meet.
“At that point, people were dashing me little little money to survive and when I put everything into consideration, I said to myself it is better for me to be on the street begging than to be parading myself as an office worker. “
Even though he doesn’t like what is doing for a living, Baba Bose said, he had no choice since he could not be employed by any organization. However, he does not only live on begging. As a matter of fact, he’s into the business of buying and selling of locally made foot wears too. “ With the little money I make from begging, I decided to go into the business of buying and selling of foot wears. My wife goes to the market to make the purchases and display them for me to sell. This is what I have been doing for many years now.”
Though Baba Bose may not remember exactly how many years he has spent at the bus stop,some residents of the area testified that they started seeing the Kano State-born beggar at the bus stop from the late 80s.
At that time, gossips had it that he had bought cars and built houses all over Lagos. But judging from his recent looks, the veteran beggar cannot boast of providing for himself and his family. With age telling on him, Baba Bose’s immediate concern is how to provide for his five children. He’s today gripped with fear of the unknown as he wants to do everything within his power to secure the future of his children.
Unknown to many, Baba Bose is a trained teacher. According to him, he attended teachers training College and worked briefly as an Accounts Clerk with the Ogun State Education Board.
Though he did not reveal the school he attended, he promised to produce his Teachers Training Certificate to silence any doubting Thomas. For his condition, the 67-year -old beggar would have loved to return to the classroom. But he wants to continue with his business of buying and selling of foot wears. In this regard, he is appealing to well meaning Nigerians and corporate bodies to provide him with a rented store and small amount of money to boost his business so that he can fend for his five children.
Source: Vanguard
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