About 4 years ago, a friend of mine, who did the Uber business with me, told me of his plan to travel to Dubai for greener pastures.
I discouraged him because of the unpleasant stories I have heard. He assured me that everything was fine and the agent he was dealing with is genuine. He said there was a lucrative job already waiting for him and he would earn so much. He was also assured by the agent that he would help him migrate to Canada after 2 years of working in Dubai.
Hmmmmmm.….
I expressed my reservations about this but he was adamant with his travel plans. He sold his car, paid the agent and his papers were processed. Eventually, he left the country after a few months and we kept in touch.
I was so surprised when he told me that he was working as a security man as things didn’t turn out the way he had expected . All I could do was encourage him to be hopeful for things to get better. We kept communicating until I stopped hearing from him late last year. I was bothered but there was nothing I could do as there was no way I could reach him.
I got a call from him early last month saying that he will be coming to Nigeria and that he would need me to pick him up from the international airport. I asked him why he could not be reached for a long time but he told me to hold on till we see for him to tell me all that happened to him.
When I picked him up on his arrival, he told me to take him to Akure where his mother and sister live. We talked on the way and he told me of his travails, how he was in jail for a while when the police raided his apartment, which he shared with 5 other people. Apparently, one of them was dealing in hard drugs but they were all arrested and taken for jail for 8 months.
He told me how he lost everything as his apartment was raided when he was in jail and all his things were stolen. He also talked about how the agent is dubious and not paid him his salary for 9 months since they don’t receive the salary directly from the company he worked with.
He couldn’t even pay for his cab fare because he back returned to Nigeria with nothing. He kept calling me to beg that he will soon pay me but I told him to forget it since I know he has challenges.
I feel so bad for him because he doesn’t know where he will start from again. Indeed, not all that glitters is gold.
I expressed my reservations about this but he was adamant with his travel plans. He sold his car, paid the agent and his papers were processed. Eventually, he left the country after a few months and we kept in touch.
I was so surprised when he told me that he was working as a security man as things didn’t turn out the way he had expected . All I could do was encourage him to be hopeful for things to get better. We kept communicating until I stopped hearing from him late last year. I was bothered but there was nothing I could do as there was no way I could reach him.
I got a call from him early last month saying that he will be coming to Nigeria and that he would need me to pick him up from the international airport. I asked him why he could not be reached for a long time but he told me to hold on till we see for him to tell me all that happened to him.
When I picked him up on his arrival, he told me to take him to Akure where his mother and sister live. We talked on the way and he told me of his travails, how he was in jail for a while when the police raided his apartment, which he shared with 5 other people. Apparently, one of them was dealing in hard drugs but they were all arrested and taken for jail for 8 months.
He told me how he lost everything as his apartment was raided when he was in jail and all his things were stolen. He also talked about how the agent is dubious and not paid him his salary for 9 months since they don’t receive the salary directly from the company he worked with.
He couldn’t even pay for his cab fare because he back returned to Nigeria with nothing. He kept calling me to beg that he will soon pay me but I told him to forget it since I know he has challenges.
I feel so bad for him because he doesn’t know where he will start from again. Indeed, not all that glitters is gold.
*Oko asawo didnt you give him some money? you for tell am to start Uber work....
OMG. This thing keeps happening.
ReplyDeleteDubia or Qatar is not very lucrative if you are not a professional.
This agents will keep swindling people because this country is treating us bad..
I have feel his pain ☹️
Aunty Stella send Oko Ashawo some money to give to him as you now know too.
DeleteHow him wan start work as He sold his car? Perhaps he should look for rental or if He's lucky He'd find HP to get back on the road.
Chai. So sad. Sending love and light his way
DeleteStella oko ashawo paid in kind now
ReplyDeleteThe grass is not always green @the other side, water where you're!
In kind as how...please explain
DeleteLovelace
@anon 14:33 he told him to forget about the money for the trip from Lagos to Akure, which would have amounted to a lot. It could be up to 40k or more that Oko Ashawo sacrificed
DeleteStella, give him which money again. Do you know how much he has lost by taking him to Akure for free. That's enough biko.
ReplyDeleteThis is really sad. The guy lost everything.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many people abroad who can't even come home because they are barely surviving.
I don't believe what I see on social media where people post pictures looking good in the abroad. A lot of times, things are not what they seem to be.
Oko Ashawo, I pray your friend stands on his feet again.
Na wa ooo
ReplyDeleteFunnily, some won't still learn after reading this
But some travel and still make it nah... I guess he was not just lucky
ReplyDeleteThis is really sad...pray he kicks off soon...never been easy anywhere
ReplyDeleteThis is really sad but it is not good not to take risk, take risk, win and be a teach or lose and learn some lessons.
ReplyDeleteAnything UAE or Qatar or Oman is total sham except you are joining a multinational company as a professional.
ReplyDeleteI have a cousin there now that is always complaining whenever he calls me. Telling me how he now value Nigeria more now. I was thinking maybe this guy dey whine me so but what u said reaffirms what he has been saying that UAE is not really that favorable to him.
ReplyDelete