KEHINDE Williams was once a Uber taxi driver in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, despite being a university graduate. After the outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the country, he is now jobless and hopeless.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_80B7n7WDk

Kehinde William, an uber driver in Abuja

For Williams, life became difficult shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari announced a 14-day lockdown on March 29 in Lagos, Ogun states and Abuja to contain the spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

When he graduated from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State some years ago after studying of Psychology, the young Williams, now in his early 40s was full of hope of a brighter future, particularly securing a well-paid job. But he was pushed to becoming a taxi driver in Abuja when his efforts at landing a white-collar job became futile.

“I came to Abuja to search for a job but ended up being a taxi driver,” he told The ICIR.

He was about to be admitted in the hospital when approached by The ICIR. Williams was diagnosed of Typhoid fever since the day lockdown imposed by the president was extended by another 14 days.

Sadly, his situation became worse like several others in that line of business. The COVID-19 global pandemic has crippled his only source of survival, his savings depleted and, still literally struggling to survive. Yet, the owner of the taxi he was operating expected some returns.

“Yesterday made it two weeks that I dropped the car to the owner due to low patronage and the pandemic,” he lamented.

“That was my only source of income,” he said, adding that despite not having a nuclear family, there are his siblings, including his aged mother that he caters for from his earnings as a Uber taxi driver. With the lockdown order, he said their hopes are all hanging in the balance.

“All my savings have been depleted because I have no other source of survival. I have spent so much money even the remaining cannot last me for a week.”

But Williams is not alone in this predicament. Isa Daniel, a father of three who is also an Uber driver is facing the herculean task to feed his family.

Isa Daniel, an uber driver in Abuja

Daniel said since the stay at home order, he had parked his taxi with no alternative to meet the immediate needs of his family. Sadly, he has run out of food items bought in the wake of the lockdown.

”Something is happening to me and my family that I can’t even explain,” he told The ICIR.

“ I have exhausted all the money in my savings, the food I bought has finished, I am thinking if there is a way out, and I don’t know yet.”

According to him, the extension of the lockdown is a terrible experience for him and his family.

”If the government really wants to help us they should give money through the Bank Verification Number (BVN) and not saying they gave money to people we cannot see”.

Survival has been tough, I only visit my shop so as not to commit suicide —Tailor

READ MORE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/report-how-covid-19-lockdown-is-pushing-low-middle-class-nigerians-to-the-wall-without-palliatives/