Elvis Obiasu, a young man in his early 20s, from Ola community in Boki Local Government, Cross River State, carries a burden. Death took the people who would have been there to support him and walk with him through life at a tender age.
The only family he had turned his back on him, leaving him to go through the horrors of life alone while depending on friends and strangers for help and shelter.
Determined to work and fend for himself, he picks himself up after every setback that comes his way. He told Saturday Tribune in Lagos during the week that he believed his future is bright and he would succeed.
“I had an accident three times that affected my legs. The first accident was on my right leg and I had nobody to help me because I lost my mother when I was five years old and my father when I was seven years old. So, nobody was there to help me.
“My uncle was supposed to help me, but in fact, he drove me away from my father’s house. It was one Igbo man who took me to Onitsha where I learned mechanic work. His name is Engineer Lawrence.
“After that, I went on to learn how to repair phones in one company. By that time, I hadn’t had any accidents and was 17 years old. By the time I was done learning, the man who took me to Onitsha died. So, I went back to my place,” he narrated.
Life took a sinister turn for Obiasu when he returned to his hometown after his benefactor died.
“After I went back home, I borrowed a motorcycle to sell wood so that I could build a small kiosk so I could start doing something. Then, I had the first accident − the motorcycle I was riding vied off the road, and both the wood and motorcycle pressed me on my right knee.
“At that point, I had nobody to help me − no mama, no papa. I am the only child they had. My father had five lands, a cocoa and banana farm, but I still didn’t know where to go.
“Then, I went to Abakileki. I was there managing myself but decided to go back to my place because I was tired and wanted to rest. However, my uncle had sold my father’s house. I didn’t know where to stay. So, I started living with my friend.
Then I woke up one morning and my big left toe just fell off at the door. Before I knew it, the leg started to swell. The toe had a small wound from a poison that kept eating deep, leading to the fall. I eventually went to break the spell.
“I decided that everything was too much for me to bear. I decided to get some wood to build a kiosk again to start working. Then, I had another accident. A knot from my front tyre got loose and, before I knew it, the motorcycle started shaking and I fell into a bush by the corner of the road. The motorcycle and the wood pressed on my left leg again.
“The little money that I had and wanted to buy some instruments with I spent it on the leg, but the wound did not go,” he said.
Having faced so much in his hometown, he decided to change location, to see if his situation would improve. Having no one to turn to, he resorted to getting help to put his skills to use, and the help came.
“I decided to move to Benin again and was living under the bridge. but they started chasing people away from the bridge, that they didn’t want to see any beggars there. I still remained in Benin, managing myself, but before I knew it, my left leg started turning black and water was dripping from it. I did not know what to do or who to turn to.
“So I wrote boldly with a marker, ‘Please help me, I’m tired of begging. I want to work. I need some accessories. I’m tired. I’m just tired.’ There was one barrister, I was begging opposite his office gate, and the man saw it and said he would help me. He took me to his office and interviewed me. He tried my ability by asking me to fix an iPhone, and I did the work perfectly.
“He gave me N150,000 to buy a generator and other things like a table and an umbrella. He further connected electricity from his office to where I was working.
“After I bought those things, he gave me extra N20,000. So, in December, since I have gotten some instruments, I decided to travel to my place in Cross River State see whether things will work out for me there instead of moving around,” he told Saturday Tribune.
No place like home. However, that decision to return home became an eye-opener for Obiasu − things took a downward turn for him once more.
“The lawyer who gave me the N150,000 was also a pastor. His wife and five children were all lawyers too. He told me not to go, but I insisted. It had been a long since I traveled home. At that time, there were no wounds on my left leg again.
“So, I went back to my place and was living with my friend. Within two weeks, I woke up one morning and my leg was like it was stricken by a thunder or like I was electrocuted. A wound then appeared under my left foot and the leg started swelling from there.
“Before I knew it, I started selling my instruments to treat my leg. I called the man and explained what happened to me and he sent me N50,000 more for treatment, which I did but the wound did not go. From that point, I understood that all the problems I was facing were coming from my village. So, I left and went back to Benin.
“But I could not go under the bridge to beg again because some people had seen me when I started working. I felt it would look somehow for me to go back there to beg again. They would think I’m a 419 person,” Obiasu recounted.
That opened another chapter for the young man, as he decided yet again to relocate to Lagos with hopes that his situation would get better.
“So, I decided to move to Lagos in August. I am now staying under the bridge in Mile Two. When I was travelling to Lagos, I went with the locker I used to repair phones with, but task force officials broke the locker.
I was sleeping one day when some area boys took the N3,200 I made that day They used a fan belt to whip me on the wound on my leg.
“Blood gushed out because the belt tore the wound further. They said I must wash the bridge and at that time I was not using crutches. I was using a stick to support myself. I stayed under the bridge for almost three weeks without food, morning and night, and did not have money to treat the leg.
“Within the period, the leg began to smell because I couldn’t treat it. I must say that it is only because of God that I am alive. I started waving at people to help me − they did and I bought cotton wool to clean the leg. By God’s, grace the smell has reduced.
“Among those helping me was one man who came every evening to give me N2,000. I explained my condition to him, that I needed crutches and he bought them for me. That is how I have been managing myself.
“I know my future is bright, I am tired of begging. I need to work. I can work. What I wrote in Benin, I wrote it here again. I need accessories again to work. I came with some screws to work and some area boys brought their phones for me to fix. I have done that already but they are yet to collect it.
It’s not everybody you see on the bridge that wants to beg. I really need a place, at least to have hot water to press my leg. I am tired,” Obiasu concluded.
Though faced with many challenges which led to his disability, Obiasu still maintains a positive outlook on life and still believes he has a bright future.
A man standing by the bridge confirmed to Saturday Tribune that he saw him fixing some phones and he did the job well.
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