When this
reporter met him on a sunny afternoon at under bridge, Oshodi bus stop where he
plies his trade with consummate diligence, Agba as he is fondly called was
reluctant to spare some minutes. One of his co-traders under the bridge; a lady
who sells recharge cards was later to comment that Agba is not in a good mood. “He has a pain in the leg. He was trampled on
in a stampede during the morning rush. Also, some days ago, he was injured as a police
man tried to yank him up in a playful mood which might have strained his
muscle”, she explained further.
One look
at him says it all. He suffers from growth hormone deficiency. His form of
dwarfism is a phenomenon that beggars description. He hardly fits into the size of an inc and
walks on his bottom, dragging and pushing to meet his ‘customers’ who are
passengers waiting at the BRT lane. He
gives his name as Anu Akinyande, but he is popularly called Agba by his
acquaintance at the park. His bearing gives him away as a beggar with a choice,
one who has come to see his condition as permanent and has exchanged despair
for hope. His dream, he tells this reporter is to be in charge. He wishes to
have workers under him and he wants to sell electronics.
Asked about
his decision to beg for a living, Agba, a native of Abeokuta, Ogun state says
he does not want to continue to be a burden. In his own words, “Every man is on
his own”. Even though both of his
parents are still alive, the midget size man does not see a reason why he
should rely on anyone since he is no longer a child. He gives his age as 40 although
he has no official document to back up the claim.
A typical
day starts for Agba at dawn when he prepares to resume the day’s duty with his
younger brother called Dare who carries him from Ifo, Ogun state down to Oshodi,
Lagos via public transport. “I come here
around 8: a.m. and leave by 5: p.m.
For
someone who works under the sun and has to drag himself to and fro the tarmac
to reach his benefactors, he would certainly be a kind of super human if he
does not fall sick often or swallow drugs on a daily basis. Yet, he boasts of having a strength that will
rival that of a horse. “I don’t fall sick. Since I was born, I cannot recall
the time I went to a hospital. If I have any business there, it is only to
visit people”, he submitted amidst riffs of laughter.
Agba
believes he is better off a beggar than a thief. He has no royal gear to lay
claim to. His lame feet adorn no shoes. His
face-cap which should be a fashion element is used to shield his face from the
furry of the sun. His cloths, tardy and
untidy are soiled by sweats which drip from his face. But in his circumstance, he still finds time
to jokes with passengers. Even traders and road workers around the area testify
to his cheerful mood. How much does a beggar
of his stature make on a daily basis as income? “It is what God says I will
make in a day that I make”, he said tactically avoiding quoting any figure.
One thing
that stands him out, apart from his deformity is the audacity of his dream. Agba
is a big dreamer who has big plans for the future. One thing you cannot take
away from him is the audacity of his dream. “My dream is to own a business. I
want to be an Apase (commander). I
know my condition will not allow me to work in any organization but I want to
run a shop where people will answer to me. In a country where even abled bodied
men are cheated by their employees, Agba claims he is too intelligent to be an
object of trickery. “You think if I have
a shop today somebody can come around and cheat me out of my gains?” he
confidently asked this reporter. “Emi gangan baba gbigba (I am the father of trickers)!.
I have native intelligence so I can manage money”, he said.
On how
Nigerians can help him, he said. “I want Nigerians to help me. I want to get a shop
where I can do business by selling things. I have been begging for about six
years now but I want a change of pattern”.
Asked if
he has challenges in the course of his job, he confessed that begging to earn a
living could be hard. “Sometimes, some people just look down on you but I enjoy
the pity of many, especially women”.
HannaH
