A Nigerian youth has recounted how he rose from being an errand boy to the post of an oil company worker which has ushered him into wealth.
Life is a journey and we never can tell who we meet on the way. My own case is slightly similar to that of Abraham in the Bible who came across an Angel. Unknowingly, he gave them bread and took care of them, that was where he was promised a child from God, and the rest is history.
My mom was an Akara seller who struggled to put I and my brothers through school. And life isn’t easy at all will all its short comings.
2014 after graduating from the university and awaiting my NYSC, I moved to Port Harcourt to join my uncle and his family. I started working in a Business center in Choba, close to Uniport pending till I go for my NYSC. Due to it’s a student environment and its 8am to 6pm, and the manager just started new in the area, I still managed the pay, N8,000. Customer response was very poor. Sometimes I do stay the whole day without any person coming to do any printing, photocopy or any job in my center.
This particular Wednesday afternoon after a rough morning. PHCN disconnected our power without no good reasons. So we were just left to use generator. Secondly, a man came and did a job without paying. It really hurts. I thought I had had enough that morning. Coming to afternoon, I was in the shop when a lady just walked in. the way she badged in sef was annoying. She was in a haste and looked angry. She asked if we have internet service. I told her we do. She said I should Google some works, do printing and photocopy for her. I just smiled. “My friend come and do this things for me, you are just looking and smiling like a goat,” she shouted at me. I was surprised because of her outburst as if I was her slave. I still kept my cool and calmness as I collected the work from her. “Don’t you people have A.C here?” she asked. I told her we didn’t. Na so she begin complain that other business centers have but it seemed we are so wretched. She couldn’t just understand why she was just raining curses on me. We have never met before neither has she been to our center before.
My mom was an Akara seller who struggled to put I and my brothers through school. And life isn’t easy at all will all its short comings.
2014 after graduating from the university and awaiting my NYSC, I moved to Port Harcourt to join my uncle and his family. I started working in a Business center in Choba, close to Uniport pending till I go for my NYSC. Due to it’s a student environment and its 8am to 6pm, and the manager just started new in the area, I still managed the pay, N8,000. Customer response was very poor. Sometimes I do stay the whole day without any person coming to do any printing, photocopy or any job in my center.
This particular Wednesday afternoon after a rough morning. PHCN disconnected our power without no good reasons. So we were just left to use generator. Secondly, a man came and did a job without paying. It really hurts. I thought I had had enough that morning. Coming to afternoon, I was in the shop when a lady just walked in. the way she badged in sef was annoying. She was in a haste and looked angry. She asked if we have internet service. I told her we do. She said I should Google some works, do printing and photocopy for her. I just smiled. “My friend come and do this things for me, you are just looking and smiling like a goat,” she shouted at me. I was surprised because of her outburst as if I was her slave. I still kept my cool and calmness as I collected the work from her. “Don’t you people have A.C here?” she asked. I told her we didn’t. Na so she begin complain that other business centers have but it seemed we are so wretched. She couldn’t just understand why she was just raining curses on me. We have never met before neither has she been to our center before.
I kept cool and told her not to worry that we would get A.C. I began her work. At a time she began complaining that I was too slow and I wasn’t getting the right results she wanted from Google and I was wasting her time. I looked at her and smiled and kept calm even when I was boiling inside me. I looked at her and told her to calm down that she will get what she is looking for. She began comparing our center with other big centers around Uniport. That if not because the other big business centers were full of people working she wouldn’t have come to our own. I began pleading with her to exercise patience. I even went as far as getting her refreshment when she said she wanted to get something to eat. I became the errand boy. After about 3 hours of work.
After I don burn about 1gb of data and the printing and photocopies, she gave me N350. I tried to explain to her that her money was N2,750, but madam no gree. She said she wasn’t going to pay for the internet service because I didn’t get the actual things she wanted. And infact sef I don’t deserve to be paid. The thing pained me but I still smiled, trying to be friendly. But I no fit drag with her. I had to let go as she left. But she didn’t leave without telling me that I was useless in that shop, that my Oga should even employ another person. And she packed the work she said I didn’t don well. She carry dem go, and na generator I take run the work. To think she was very beautiful, young with that kind of attitude. I was really troubled when I got home. I felt humiliated but I still encouraged myself.
The next day, I was sitting in the shop when the troublesome woman that woman that didn’t pay me the previous day came in. I greeted her so well as if nothing happened the previous. And she replied me well, asking me how my night was. I was surprised, that was a woman that was abusing me, saying she won’t come to our shop again. Everything about her seems to have changed that day as she told me that her project supervisor approved and gave an excellent recommendation of her work, the one I help her with the previous day. I smiled in happiness. Na so she begin apologize for what she did the previous day. She said I should just forgive her because she had a bad day in her office and one of her kid was sick, couple with her pregnancy. She gave me money for the previous day and additional N1,000 for me. She went out and bought snacks for me oo. She asked me for my name and number. I told her I was a graduate and awaiting NYSC. She said I should call her mummy Nifemi. She asked why I didn’t even react when she was raining abuses the previous day, I was just smiling. I told her I am slow to anger. She said she liked my nature, that I know how to handle customers.
That was how became friends and she became a special customer. Infact she directed all her friends doing PhD and masters degree to our business center to be doing their works. Before we know wetin dey happen our shop don dey full with so many customers. Sometimes she calls me to come and collect work from her house to do for her. She introduced me to her husband sef and I became a very good friend to the family. Their family is very rich. Her husband works in a popular gas firm in Port Harcourt. They deal in supplies, marine gas. The company is owned by the husband, Daddy Nifemi.
The next day, I was sitting in the shop when the troublesome woman that woman that didn’t pay me the previous day came in. I greeted her so well as if nothing happened the previous. And she replied me well, asking me how my night was. I was surprised, that was a woman that was abusing me, saying she won’t come to our shop again. Everything about her seems to have changed that day as she told me that her project supervisor approved and gave an excellent recommendation of her work, the one I help her with the previous day. I smiled in happiness. Na so she begin apologize for what she did the previous day. She said I should just forgive her because she had a bad day in her office and one of her kid was sick, couple with her pregnancy. She gave me money for the previous day and additional N1,000 for me. She went out and bought snacks for me oo. She asked me for my name and number. I told her I was a graduate and awaiting NYSC. She said I should call her mummy Nifemi. She asked why I didn’t even react when she was raining abuses the previous day, I was just smiling. I told her I am slow to anger. She said she liked my nature, that I know how to handle customers.
That was how became friends and she became a special customer. Infact she directed all her friends doing PhD and masters degree to our business center to be doing their works. Before we know wetin dey happen our shop don dey full with so many customers. Sometimes she calls me to come and collect work from her house to do for her. She introduced me to her husband sef and I became a very good friend to the family. Their family is very rich. Her husband works in a popular gas firm in Port Harcourt. They deal in supplies, marine gas. The company is owned by the husband, Daddy Nifemi.
Fortunately, when I printed my call-up letter, I was so surprised that I was posted to Rivers state. I was happy oo even though I wanted Abuja. Unfortunately, my uncle I was staying with was transferred to Abia state. He and his family moved to Abia while I began my PPA in Akuku-toru LGA. Even when I had stopped work at the business center, mummy and daddy Nifemi still keep intouch with me. Sometimes they do call me and I go to spend weekends in their house. At a time when am less busy, daddy Nifemi do take me along to work as his personal assistance (PA). He even takes me to oil rigs. After the outings, he would give me some money. They trusted me to the extent that I was part of the few they allow into their home and even stay with them. Sometimes I do leave Abonuma to Port Harcourt to bring back their kids from school. i help in supervising the cleaning of their homes. Sometimes they will give me money and some other times they won’t. I go just come back empty handed, but I didn’t care. My friends would laugh at me that am an errand boy. Dem go say na house boy and plate I dey wash for daddy Nifemi’s mansion.
One particular incident, I had withdrawn all my money and sent to my mom and siblings for upkeep and school. I barely had money on me. Daddy Nifemi invited me to their house for a paper work. I went and spent 3 days there and when I was coming back nothing was given to me. Even though I expected it but never saw, I was very broke. I managed to get to Abonuma to my friends laughing at me that my errand didn’t work that day. Dem say my errand for that day na in vein because I was not given money. Though I never complained because the Nifemis are trying so well for me. And I was doing everything for them from the bottom of my heart.
On the 5th of January 2016 after I had resumed to my PPA, daddy Nifemi called me that I should come to Port Harcourt immediately that he wants me to do something for him since corpers are yet to resume in their schools. Na so I go Port Harcourt. We went to an oil rig with his workers. After 2 days with him, when we got to his house in Port Harcourt. He said he has bought a new car to his fleets. He handed me the key to one his cars, a Honda EOD. He said I should take it, and the next day he would follow me to go and change ownership and paper works to my name. He also gave me an appointment letter that I have been automatically employed in his gas company. He said I should officially resume after my passing our parade (POP), but I will still be on salary for the remaining months of my service. He also gave me money for my project management program. I had once told him that I will be doing the course after my service. He gave me money and asked me to register immediately because I will use the knowledge in his company. I was so happy because I never expected it. One of the things he told me was that I am loyal and he had been watching me. He admired my approach to things.
Men and brethren, na so my life don change oooo. I am not telling this story to brag but to inspire us. I began to reminisce when I first met mummy Nifemi at my former working place. As she was ranting that day, what of if I had shouted at her? What of if I abused and chased her arrogantly from the shop? With her attitude, what of if I had treated her badly the way she did, she may not have returned back and I might not get to see her again. I might not have seen this kind of opportunity. I didn’t judge her from the attitude she portrayed that day, I still welcomed her the next day, which made us become close and now I am favoured. Now the errand boy has become the Oga. My life has changed. Na my friends wan start to run errand for me now.
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