I had rather die than beg for alms-One-legged cyclist

Mr. Moses Adeleke is a one-legged tricycle rider who has faced several storms in his life. Some of the storms were enough to defeat able bodied men, let alone a physically challenged one.

The present storm he’s facing is the restriction of tricycle riders from plying ACME route.

He said that since the restriction, life, especially feeding has become hellish!

Adeleke, 37, left Oyo State and came to Lagos in search of greener pastures. It was in the course of the search for a better life, that he got involved in an accident he described as ‘mysterious.’ The accident led to the amputation of one of his legs.

Rather than take to begging for alms like most men and women in his condition do, the proud Yoruba snarled: “I’d rather die than beg!”

He noted that he realized that most of the beggars make more money than people in 8am-5pm jobs, but he had rather make a little money, to eat with, with dignity and pride, than beg and make all the millions in the world.

He said that the story of his life and the course it finally took, leading to the loss of his leg, started in Ekiti State, where he went to learn carpentry. “After the carpentry work, I went to my Oyo State and after a deep reflection, decided to come down to Lagos. Several of my friends told me I would easily get a job and make it here.”

After staying in Lagos for some months, he realized that the roads were not paved with gold as many of them in his village had heard.

He decided to embrace the available job, which seemed to be fetching both literates and illiterates enough money to eat and survive.

He said: “After my primary education, my parents were unable to continue paying my school fees. I had to go and learn carpentry. When I got to Lagos, the only job I saw I could do was to ride motorcycle which I did.”

According to Adeleke, who is now one of the tricycle riders at Agege Park, he was already eking out a living from riding a commercial bike when problem came.

“I’ll never forget the day that accident happened,” he said, staring into space. “My wife was pregnant. She was expecting our fourth child. The accident happened towards the end of October, 2009. It happened at Agbado Ijaiye route.

“I was sitting on my motorcycle when suddenly a farrago bus appeared from nowhere and hit me on top speed. It was not that the bus failed break. Till date, I cannot just precisely explain what caused. My motorbike was not even on the road.

“When the incident happened, people on the road chased after the driver. He however stopped, stepped down from his bus seat and told them that if they didn’t want to die, they should all go back. And just like that, they allowed him to go. They were all scared.”

He recalled that other cyclists rushed him to Ikeja General Hospital. Unfortunately, doctors at the hospital were on strike. Doctors, who pitied his plight, said they could quickly carry out an amputation of the badly crushed leg, but Adeleke refused. He did not want to lose his leg.

Writhing in pains, his family bundled him to Ogbomosho, where Adeleke believed a miracle could be done.

He was however devastated when the prognosis was the same as the general hospital’s. Adeleke had to spend whooping sums of money just to save his leg. Money he said he did not have. He spent six months in the hospital. But all his efforts were futile.

His words: “I was not happy when the doctor told me that the only way to save my life was to amputate my leg. I had no choice than to go on with the operation. During those times, a lot of things flashed through my mind. When I had two legs, things were not going on well; I wondered how tougher life would be for me after losing a leg.  But I had no choice because I wanted to live and I kept my trust in God.”

He said that during those times at the hospital, things were difficult because people were not ready to assist him and his pregnant wife and kids financially. He praised his landlord in Lagos, whom was he owed house rent, but after his accident, the man wrote off a year rent for him.

“The stress and burden was too much for my wife. My wife was not working; she was an apprentice back then, learning how to make bags,” said Adeleke. “When I regained my health, I came back to Lagos, trying to look for jobs to make ends meet, all to no avail.”

He continued his narration: “I stayed at for almost a year, doing nothing. All the responsibilities fell on my wife. One day one of my friends pitied me.  He introduced me to a tricycle owner who was looking for someone who would monitor his riders for him.  When I collected the tricycles to keep for the owner, I would go and try riding them, using one leg. I learned very well by practicing. When my friend knew I could ride a tricycle, he introduced me to Agege Tricycle Riders Park, to start working there in 2012. ”

Adeleke said that when he had two legs and riding motorbike, he used to save close to N30, 000 every month, but since he became a one legged cyclist, he saves just N15, 000 each month. “Now I hobbled and leave home late in the morning and go home earlier than my colleagues because of my leg.”

When asked why he did not beg for alms due to his condition, he said: “It’s better for me to work than to beg! My religion does not preach begging for alms. In fact, my family will never accept it! Most of my friends advised me to go to the roads, churches and mosques that people would definitely give me money, but I refused. I know God will do something good in my life.”

He said one of the challenges he had as a one legged rider, was that passengers did not trust him to take them safely to their destinations. He said that sometimes he would pick passengers and once they noticed his leg, they would quickly alight.

Speaking on the restriction of tricycle operators along ACME, which he said was brutally affecting him at the home front, Adeleke said: “To eat is once more very tough for my family. I just don’t know what to do! My hope is in God. Aside from riding tricycles, I can make good furniture, but my problem is money to buy items to start a carpenter’s workshop.”