•Meet Blessing Ekwueme, Abia’s first woman commercial driver
She is every bit a model. She has made history but does not wear that honour like a badge. She is calm, yet very active, inspired and focused on her responsibilities and vision.
Mrs. Blessing Ekwueme is the first woman commercial driver in Abia State. She is so happy at what she does that she cannot imagine taking her feet off the accelerator in the foreseeable future.
She received a National Certificate in Education (NCE) in Economics from Alvan Ikoku College, Owerri, and tried very hard to work with the Immigration and later the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). None of them clicked. She set up a trading business, buying crayfish from Calabar, Cross River State, and selling in Abia. One day, some fellows stopped by her stand, bent down and took away her stock. Why? She was not registered with the market union, she was told. That was it for selling crayfish.
Undaunted, she turned to driving, starting as a commercial bus conductor and taking home only a stipend. Five years ago, she decided to sit behind the steering herself and do the driving. But first, she needed to learn to do so. Will her boss teach her? Yes, and she paid attention while he did. Today, she fills her large bus with passengers and takes them to their destinations, and back.
Ekwueme is conscious of the fact that she operates in a male-dominated environment and not only is she courageous and determined to make the most of it, she is equally aware that she is a model to other people, especially women.
She is married to an oil rigger with whom she has three children. And she is happy to be contributing to the family upkeep, conscious of her role as a helper to her husband on the home front.
Mrs Ekwueme, who now operates a bus on the state youth employment scheme, spoke exclusively with SUNNY NWANKWO, detailing how she combines her many parts. Excerpts:
Family and education
My dad is married to two wives. My mother is the first wife. We were seven in number, but one of us, the first daughter, is late. Our most senior brother is a politician but he doesn’t stay at home with us.
I come from a responsible home. My dad was a civil servant, while my mum is a farmer. They trained me well.
I am married with three children. My husband is from Afor Umuda Ohuhu in Umuahia North Local Government Area. He works as a rigger at an oil company at Port Harcourt. He is at work for about three months and comes back to spend one week with us. In the face of this, I accepted to do something so that I don’t stay idle or join other women in gossiping and creating problems for my family.
I still believe that I am made to be a helper to my husband, so that is why I am supporting him and I think that we have a happy home today.
I had my NCE (National Certificate in Education) at Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri, Imo State. I studied Economics there from 1998 to 2004.
I looked for job but it wasn’t that easy for me. When I was told that Immigration was recruiting, I applied but it didn’t work out. I applied for Road Safety, did their training but after much, my name was unable to come out. So, I said no, let me do business on my own I don’t want to be dependent on any person. That was why I decided to do business.
A stint in business
Doing business or trading is all part of my profession. I started with selling crayfish; when I go to Calabar, I will buy them in bags and come down here to sell not until one day I encountered a little problem when I went to a local market at Ariam in Ikwuano Local Government Area to sell my crayfish when people on union came and confiscated my goods that I was not supposed to sell anything in their market because I didn’t register with their union. I pleaded with them, but they refused to release my goods to me. So, when I went home I started thinking of the alternative because I really want to help my family. Staying idle might cause a lot of things for me in my home because I have seen some other homes that are broken today because the wife was not able to assist the husband in sharing some of the responsibilities in the home.
The road to driving
It was at that point that I decided to join transport business as a bus conductor where I was stipends. I joined driving 5 years ago. We were driving from Umuahia to Port Harcourt. While I was still doing the conductor work, I met one of the drivers and explained my intention to become a driver, but that depends if he can teach me how to drive even if it is for two weeks. He eventually did and I started practicing on my own, not until today that I am perfect. I really find joy doing it because I can take care of myself and my family.
Family’s initial reaction
Initially when he heard it, he wasn’t all that happy because he was saying that since I want to join commercial driving, that it will turn me to be a tout. But I made him know that my mission going into commercial driving was not to be stupid, and that I would still maintain my integrity, and I’m happy today that I’m still making him proud.
My mother in-law, like her son, initially objected to the idea of me going into driving. But I had to let her know that their own time and ours are not the same; that things were easier for them then, but now things are very hard. I told her that she shouldn’t expect me to fold my arms just because I went to school and therefore shouldn’t do the driving work because they were seeing it that I was going to mess around with men. I assured her that I was going to do the work better. After much battling, she came to understand that I am not the lazy type and that I mind my business. They are happy with me.
Adapting to driving
Commercial driving is not easy, especially when it is seen to be a job for the male folk. So, it wasn’t that easy for me to adapt because I faced a lot of challenges from male colleagues. On many occasions my vehicle was impounded and money demanded from me by these boys that collect money for daily tickets. That stopped when they understood that I am ready for the work.
Contact with Abia Youth Empowerment Scheme
They have seen me operating on Ubakala-Umuahia route. When the engine of the bus I was driving broke down, the owner of the bus said I should not be going far distance anymore, that I should be running the local route, so I started driving from Ubakala to Umuahia. The Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Mr. Sunny Nwakodo saw me on several occasions driving and made enquiries about me. The people he asked told him that I am a perfect driver, that I driver very well and like men too.
After some time, he called me and asked me some questions which I answered. Satisfied by my responses, he gave me the key to a bus, telling me to drive it to Aba and back. That day, I did well; I went to Aba three times. So, when I came back, I delivered well. That was when he decided to give me key to the bus and until today; I am still driving the bus. I didn’t pay any money to him. He just gave the key. What we normally do is a daily account depending on the number of trips. But basically, each trip is N5,000.
How impactful has the driving experience being
At least, I am using it to encourage other women, telling them that whatever a man does, a woman can do it much better. They should wake up and make Abia a better place just like our governor has been preaching. Now that I am doing it, there some areas I have been assisting my husband. At times, when they asked my children of their school fees, if my husband is not around, I pay it and don’t necessarily have to wait for him to come back and do it.
It is also giving my parents, my mother and father in-law joy. At least they are proud of me. So the job has really helped me.
Coping with male colleagues
It is not easy to be the only woman in the midst of about 30 men. You know that men are “Lions”. Being in their midst looks as if you are carrying a chicken to a lion’s den. At times, our chairman, Sunny Nwakodo used to be there for me when they come up to challenge, humiliate or intimidate me. He will always remind them that I am the only woman in their midst and that they should pamper and carry me. I think they are not happy seeing me coming up to challenge them, but at a time, they begin to see that I am destined to do so; that is my nature. I am born strong to be strong and hardworking. They have no other option than to obey what the chairman said.
Being among male colleagues, sometimes, I feel intimidated but because I know it is something that I am bound to see and a decision I made, I have to take up whatever that I see and now I don’t feel it all that. Whenever they challenge me, I react and I am still there (laughs).
Any plans leaving the business?
I am not thinking of dropping driving for now, unless I am being rewarded by the state government as the first Abia female driver with a lucrative and mouthwatering job (laughs out loud).
One day, one of my passengers said that he was going to talk to Chief T.A Orji, our governor, although I don’t know whether he has the means. He said I need to be recognized, rewarded and promoted for having the nerve to not only break into a field dominated by men, but doing the job even better than the men.
So, I am looking forward to be rewarded with a better job that is better than driving and risking of one’s life on the road. If the job comes, I will have no option but to drop commercial driving. But if it doesn’t come, I will continue with the one that I am doing now at least, I am feeding from it.
Risk in the business
I believe that there is no means of livelihood in this life that is easy. Before you make money in this life, you must undergo some risks. I don’t see it as a risk but a means of survival.
Relationship with passengers
Since I know that passengers are always right, when they become funny, I will understand. I will try to pet them so that I will get what I want from them.
On using her gender effectively
Just because I am a lady, many of the passengers believe that I drive carefully. Many people do wait for me at our loading bay because, according to them, they feel more relaxed and comfortable because of the way I drive. So, I have many passengers that do patronise me. I am satisfied and encouraged when I hear about the good things they say about me.
Coping with the job and responsibilities at home
My husband’s kid sister is staying with me. She helps in some house chores the way I direct her. At times when the kids are ill, she will take care of them till I will come back. The job actually doesn’t stop me from performing my responsibility as a woman. I do the things I am supposed to do for my husband, although it is not easy but there is nothing I can do because it is the type of world we find ourselves. I believe that one can only rest when he or she is old. But for now that I am still young, that is when I know that I am supposed to lay a good foundation for my family.
To other women who are in other spheres of life dominated by men outside commercial driving, they are just like me. I am advising them to carry on because they I know that they will still experience peace in their homes just like I am experiencing in my own home. I am proud to say that since I got married, there has never been any time my husband visited police station maybe because of a trouble that I caused. So, women who stay at home to gossip should desist from that and engage themselves into meaningful ventures in order to help their family and also meet their personal needs without depending so much on their husband to do it for them.
Advice to women
I want to be a leader which I have equally started through this process (commercial driving). I am advising other women to come out and be up doing because these days are not days that you fold your arms and wait for a man to fend for you or for manner to fall from heaven. They should come up and join me. I need people that could come up and join me to do this job that I am doing. Even if they don’t have their own car, they can drive for someone just as I am doing until when God will give them their own car.
I don’t see it as only for the men, I see it as a general work for everybody. Most of the problems we encounter in some homes today is as a result of idleness; when your husband go out to work and you relax at home, when he comes back and you ask him for something, he might not be able to give you exactly what you asked because you may not know what he is seeing to get that money and he might have other plans for that money that he came back with. So, you will see that a women staying at home and not helping her husband causes a lot of problems.
At least the people around here are proud of me. When they see me, everybody would want to greet me because I am doing well. I used to tell my younger ones that I am today loved by all is simply because I did not fold my arms and I don’t beg anybody for anything, even in my family I don’t beg anybody for anything instead, I love giving out, so it bring joy and happiness to me, my family and the community as a whole.
Relaxation?
Yes, I do relax on Sundays. I attend Sunday Service; I have enough rest that I need against Monday and I still believe that I will not do it forever. A time is coming by the grace of God, when I will have proper rest. But for now, I don’t think I need rest.
