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Abosede Agbero: Reigning queen of motor park

Her dream was to be a notable fashion designer, but fate obviously had a different plan for her. Thirty-two-year-old Abosede Oluwasuyi is today ruling her world at Ojodu-Berger area of Lagos as a motor park boss (Agbero).

By Yemisi Olusina

Eight years ago, when she made her first appearance in the regular white and green uniform of an Agbero (a motor park tout), everyone at Ojodu/Berger area of Lagos was shocked.

“What is the world turning into?” Asked one of the traders from no one in particular.

“How can a pretty woman like her take up this kind of job if she is not truly a tout? She is a trained fashion designer, married to a responsible person. She must be made to have a rethink,” her best friend, Alafia Jimoh, said when news broke about Abosede’s decision to up an occupation considered the preserve of men, who are misfits and urchins.

Born in Ulogbo, a rustic community in Ekiti State, and brought up by strict parents, Abosede Oluwasuyi trained as a fashion designer and was expected by friends and her loved ones to establish her own designing outfit after three years of her training. However, she sprang a surprise when she abandoned the vocation for the motor park job.

As days grew into weeks and weeks, months, friends and relatives, who felt disappointed at the development attempted talking her out of her odd decision.

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But Abosede’s mind was made up and she had her reasons: “I had never, for once, thought of becoming an Agbero or anything related to it all my life, but I had no choice. I needed money to establish my own fashion design house and that was the only job available to me.

“As far as I know, a job is a job as long as it is honourable and I am not begging. It is worth an effort. I have always taken delight in working to earn a living and since this is the only one available, I decided to take it.

“I cannot be waiting for a man or anyone to bail me out of any need whenever it arises. I have a tall dream for my future and I won’t allow poor finance and people’s bias to stop me,” she told The Nigerian Xpress during a chat.

Abosede got employed by the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in March 2010 and almost nine years on, she has weathered the storm regardless of her beauty and the demands of motherhood. A woman in a man’s world, the queen of the motor park turns up in the despised green and white uniform donned by all NURTW Agbero, toils between 7a.m. and 8p.m. every other day and goes home with at least N1,000 each work day.

Though this isn’t a very impressive pay, Abosede remains optimistic, as she still sees a better tomorrow ahead of her.

Meanwhile, as the only female Agbero in her jurisdiction and arguably, the entire country, she takes challenges and hazards of the job in her strides.

On the one hand is the stiff opposition from her male counterparts, who wouldn’t be impressed by whatever effort she puts into her duties. On the other hand is the hostility of the environment where she operates.

Describing her experience, she said: “At the initial stage, I did not find it funny. It was tough and a bit tasking. The environment is a bit hostile but with time, I got over it or should I say I am adapting to it. A lot of people find no sense in what I am doing and so they always look at me with disgust and disdain.

“Some will even say this to my hearing, calling me a riffraff and tout. You know all Agbero are viewed as miscreants, whereas they are only transport workers.

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“They will shout at you and do all sorts of things, but it doesn’t bother me. I am proud of what I am doing and I know I am better than many of them.

“Apart from the passengers, my colleagues also are a bit tough on me, maybe because I am a woman. But I cope all the same and I know that I will achieve my goal by God’s grace.”

Despite her challenges, Abosede is not left without some thrills of the job. “Honestly, I am excited about this decision of mine. It has exposed me to a lot of people both high and low; I have impressed many and made good friends on this job.

“Besides, I have made a positive mark on my generation in my own little way, except for the rumour that a woman had once tried her hands in this area. I have proved that women are no push-overs. They are strong and can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with men,” she enthused.

Abosede, however, still looks into the future with hope of a big, better deal.

 

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