Lanky 23-year-old Saviour Ubong is a groundnuts seller. He is restricted to the use of only one of his lower limbs, as his left leg was lost to a bicycle accident he had when he was 10 years old.
Saturday Tribune found him at his regular spot near the gate of the University of Uyo, Town Campus, with his transparent plastic bucket of measured roasted groundnut. There, he perpetually beckons on passers-by, mostly students, for kind patronage.
On that his one leg, he works on people’s farms, collects and disposes of refuse. He has even learnt sewing. These are apart from selling groundnuts at UNIUYO gate. Saviour said he is not a lazy person as he has tried whatever he could to stay independent and hope for the future. His abode as the only surviving child of his late parents, is a one-room apartment on which he coughs up an annual rent of N18,000.
“I’m from Ikot Ekpene. As an only child, I had a bicycle accident when I was 10 years old and my parents took me to a healing house where I was supposed to be taken care of. The treatment was halfway through when my parents died. As a result of my parents’ demise, I was abandoned by the person who was supposed to heal my leg. It got to the point where the leg started decaying because tetanus had entered it so they had to cut it off.
“After my parents died, life became difficult but one of my uncles helped me through primary and secondary schools after which I started fending for myself by selling groundnuts. I don’t like to beg, that is why I am doing everything within my power to make money. I’m not a lazy person. If you don’t see me here with my bucket of groundnuts, it is either I’m helping someone to clear the farm or throwing away refuse.”
Amid fending for himself via menial jobs and limping on one leg, how did he manage to learn to sew? Saviour said that though it wasn’t easy at first, sheer determination saw him finish the training in time. He, however, said on a sad tone, that he hasn’t been able to make do with his trade because of a lack of a sewing machine, other work tools and a shop.
“I learnt sewing at Ikot Ekpene in 2021 and finished last year with the small money I was getting from the menial jobs I have been doing, but because I couldn’t afford a sewing machine, I had to venture into the groundnut business. I can sew with this my one leg very well,” he boasted amid infectious smiles.
How has his groundnut business been profitable to him? Saviour said it hadn’t been that lucrative because of the increase in prices of almost everything in the market. He, however, said that apart from the groundnut that he sells, he gets financial gifts from well-wishers who encourage and appreciate him for his resilience.
“Sitting here with my bucket of groundnuts, people give me money even if they don’t buy groundnuts. The groundnut business is not that profitable at the moment because it is costly now, but it’s better than nothing.
“If I buy raw groundnuts for N3,000, I roast them myself and after tying them and sell each bunch for N50, I make N1,500 profit from it. People like buying groundnuts from me and they always tell me that they like what I’m doing because I’m not begging for alms. Sometimes I make up to N5,000 a day from people that give me money without buying,” he enthused.
At 23, though one-legged, Saturday Tribune probed into his private love life. Has he a wife or children, or a girlfriend to continue the lineage of his parents? Saviour affirmed thus: “I’m not married, but I used to have a girlfriend who had a baby girl for me in 2020. I wanted to marry the lady, but couldn’t because of my financial situation. Though my daughter is with her mother now, she normally visits me once in a while and I usually send money for her upkeep.
“On days I don’t have money, I buy food on credit from people in my neighbourhood and they sell to me because they know that I pay in due time,”he said.
Determined not to allow his condition to kill his dream of living a good life, Saviour asked the government and Nigerians to help him.
“What I want from the government or kind-hearted individuals is ‘suport’ to further my education which I know is possible, a sewing machine, other tools and a shop to run my sewing business,” he pleaded.
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