By Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
Mary Daniel, a 33-year old mother of two and wife of a partially blind man has insisted that she would still win medal for the Ekiti State in football if given opportunity to participate.
The lady who said she was the bread winner of the family said she was forced to start the Okada business as a way to feed her family as she would not like to go into prostitution.
In an exclusive interview with Heritage News in Ado Ekiti, Mary the popular Okada in Ekiti state narrated how she got into the business
Mary who broke down in tears while narrating her ordeal in the Okada business said since she started about two years ago, her saddest day in the transport business was the day an Okada rider coughed out a very thick phlegm and mucus (kelebe) and spat it on her face along Odo Ado in anger because she carried a passenger and ran ahead of her. She said “I couldn’t do anything because the man was ready to beat me up if I had altered a word “.
Another sad day which although turned out to be her happiest day in the Okada business was the day she had a tyre burst around Fajuyi area along Adebayo road in front of Christ school, Ado Ekiti. She narrated that she had to trek leaving her motorcycle somewhere there along the road and walked towards Government house as it was not too far to the place.
Her thinking was to go and meet SAPO whom many people have told her was so kind and generous but she was not allowed to enter because there was a protest that day. She also tried to see Mary Oso but unfortunately she equally denied access to see her. She therefore went back disappointed and started crying at the gate before she was eventually accosted by an RRS officer who enquired of her problem and after she told him that she needed the #13,000 which they sold the tyre and the officer immediately gave her #14,000 to go and buy the tyre and fix it. To her, it was a saddest day and the most beautiful day of her life in this Okada business.
On what led her to the Okada business, she broke into tears saying it was her husband Benedict Ojo Owolade that was doing the Okada business before he went blind. It was as result of blindness that she took up the business in a bid to ensure that both hands meet in her family. She narrated further that it was pebbles that entered her husband’s eyes while doing the Okada business and the eyes started itching him little by little until
he couldn’t see again and when they got to hospital, the doctor told them he has cataract and can’t see again with one of the two eyes unless they operated it but they had no money.
Mary who said she didn’t go beyond Junior secondary school JS3 because she is from a poor family disclosed further that her father died two years ago over a minor illness because there was no money to take him to hospital for proper medical attention equally disclosed that even herself who is still is alive is a labourer who will not eat if she didn’t go to farm to help someone to cut or cultivate hipps.
She stated that she can now appreciate men who are doing the Okada business because it is not easy , sometimes I will wake up in the morning and be very tired feeling pains all over her body, saying that it is now that she gives Kudos to the men driving Okada because on many occasions she had stopped somewhere and cried after been bitten by horrible sun coupled with all kinds insults, and abuse while some will curse her parents others will curse her.
Mary who urged women who have Okada riders as husbands should value them because they go through a lot. She however called on women to go into any kind of job that can bring money like Okada business rather than prostitution saying it is better to be doing a job that you can proudly say in the public.
She however called for help on her husband eye operation, financial assistance for her to start a foodstuff business and link towards making her long time dream of becoming a star footballer.