A Tale of 2 drivers

A Tale of 2 drivers

In 2008, I went to Abuja.
While commuting within the city to get a few things done and then meet up with Gbenga, my permanent host in the FCT, I flagged down a cab, and the driver was in a suit!
We got talking about his suit, and I asked how work went that day (thinking he was doing cab business to supplement his income).
He said, “No!” He was a Chartered Accountant with an MBA. He worked for many years with the
once-mighty NITEL, and when the telecoms liberation came to Nigeria, he lost his job and
couldn’t afford to sit idle, so he turned his car into a cab.
Tears welled in my eyes.
He gave me his CV, of which he kept loads in his car (cab).

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

2 weeks ago, a contractor driver was sent to
pick me up from a partner company.
“Wow! So this man is a driver,” I thought!
As we took off, he asked me for a favour! He has 2 fresh graduate relatives needing jobs . . .
“Nice, refined, semi-old man”!
Then we discussed Nigerian Universities and he told me how he tried to convince his children to study engineering but they refused!
One is studying accounting now.
“Wow”^3! “A driver so focused”, I thought again!
I can’t remember how we got talking about it, but he told me he did not start out as a driver.
He trained as a Foundry Technician. (I immediately remembered my contact with
Nigerian Foundries in the mid-2000s).
This “driver” worked with The Guardian Newspapers for donkey years until technology changed and he became redundant.

A tale of 2 drivers!
Neither planned to become career drivers, both felt like fish out of the water, driving!

I often wonder how prepared I am for such changes!
1) Am I changing and adapting as fast as my industry is changing?
2) Am I preparing myself for
unprecedented changes in my job?
a. Am I employable outside my present employment? (or do you think MTN would like to
employ a NITEL Accountant?)
b. Am I not broke ahead of “no job”?
c. Is accommodation permanently settled?
d. Have I made some long-term provisions for school fees (for the children)?
3) Perchance all these are beautifully set, and then my employer/industry becomes
disabled, what RECOVERY measures have I considered or put in place?
a. Am I actually useful outside this industry?
b. Am I known in this industry?
c. Do I have the necessary contacts (network) to re-establish myself if I’m out of a job?
I pray we do not find ourselves in “tight corners”, but God often brings information our way so that we can prepare!
How many skills did boy David have?
One made him popular (fighting), one took him to the palace (music), and one keeps us talking about him every day (praises).
How many lines of business did Rich Man Job have?
Cattle (tractors), Camels (trailers), sheep (clothiers), goats (milk), and certainly, his perfect walk with God.
Change happens . . .
. . . for those of us given to INTROSPECTION!!!
Olanrewaju FATOKUN
November 2011