BINTA SHAMA encounters Jamiu Folorunsho, an automobile air conditioner technician, who narrates his experience in the desert en-route Libya as well as the challenges of staying in the desert country for one year .
Why did you leave the country in first place?
I travelled to Libya in 2015 following an advice from a big brother who also agreed to sponsor the trip. The information I had prior to my departure, was that my kind of business thrives well in Libya. He further went on to assure me that within the spate of 6 months on arrival, I stood a better chance of making what I would have made in one year in Nigeria. However, things didn’t work out that way,” he explained.
So how did your journey go?
I left Lagos to Ibadan on the 11th of January 2015, slept over at a contact’s place, then left for Kano two days after. We left Kano to Katsina same day. On arrival, we crossed over to Niger on bicycle. After resting for 30minutes, a vehicle took us to Sinde where we also rested for about 40minutes, and later on moved to Agadez on a Friday where we had to wait till, like Monday, to proceed on the journey.
“We later moved in the evening of that Monday via a Hilux van.
The interesting thing is that we were never told what the mode of transportation would be, even though I knew for sure, that it was most likely to be by road.
“We were taken to different bases to pick up other people, after which we got to the main base from where we eventually took off. In all, we were like about 28 to 30 in a single van, and we had three of such vans conveying us. So, you can now imagine how hectic and challenging the journey could be.”
Any casualty?
There was no casualty but some people fell ill along the way. We, on our own, were of the view that as soon as we arrived our destination, the sick ones among us, would eventually be checked into a hospital. However, we got the shocker of our life on arrival, as nobody cared neither about our wellbeing nor upkeep. For instance, at every point of contact in the course of the journey, we were always expected to part with some cash, and where none was available, our phones and other valuables became the alternatives. As per the feeding, it was something else. We were compelled to settle for what we got rather than what we desired. In fact, it was at this point that some of us were beginning to lament the reason for the journey.
How long did the trip last?
We travelled for like over a month. We had delays due to lack of consistent drivers taking us down the route of Saba to Tripoli.
What was life like at Tripoli?
Life pays the citizens there than foreigners. On my arrival, there was chaos in the country and it was also during the raining season, when the patronage for my trade is usually at its lowest ebb. At this point, there was the need for a quicker alterative to keep both the body and soul together. This therefore made the vulcanising job an imperative.
On feeding, generally, they love anything flour, and we were welcomed with banku, a meal made from flour. Mostly what we enjoyed eating as foreigners, was the banku and spaghetti.
What can you say about the killings of foreigners over there?
Many have been fortunate in their exploit, but most people have been unlucky. For instance, ladies are mostly unlucky because they get threatened and abused, locked-up, raped and still use their money to bail themselves by the local police.
At what point did you decide it was time to return home?
You see, the truth is that my target was not to exceed a year to settle down in the country and return home. But along the line, almost a year, they were requesting for N1.4m on our agreement. This means, 700,000 at the initial stage and N700, 000 for the contacts. At this point, the thought of how long it would take me to pay off all these just came over me, and realised that this would not take me less than two years, having just spent 6 months. But I must add here that they took care of our accommodation. For people like me, staying back there is not the best, but we have some Nigerians who have stayed over 22 to 25years, in the belief that they will make some fortune before returning home.
How much did you work for daily and how much were you able to remit to your contacts?
I was making between an equivalent of N4000 to N5000 daily, and gave them out of my 2weeks income which in total was 20k.
Any regrets so far?
Yes, but not 100%. This is because, despite the freedom I missed so much and our kind of food and culture, the trip made me appreciate essence of time and life itself. Take for instance, back in Libya, the thought of intimate affair with the opposite sex won’t even cross your mind for a very long time. This is so because most of or girls are into prostitution. And for a disciplined mind like me, I really couldn’t venture into that because it is just sickening. Over and above all, my main regret really has to do with the time I spent over there gaining nothing and perpetually living in fear of being raided. Honestly, if I had stayed back home, with the level of my commitment to the job, I would have surely advanced better.
So for me, it’s like starting from the scratch and I thank God, and my co-artisans (here in Kado estate) who have been very supportive. I just want to advise anybody thinking of travelling to any foreign land for greener pasture to do his home work very well before venturing into it. This is one major lesson I have learnt.
On top of all of this, I want to appeal to both the federal and state governments to put in place a lot of measures that will see the youth being meaningfully engaged. Where we have meaningful jobs doing, no one will ever think of taking an adventurous risk like I did to Libya. It is certainly not worth it. So, our government should assist the youth, including those of us with our own private jobs.
Over and above all, my main regret really has to do with the time I spent over there gaining nothing and perpetually living in fear of being raided. Honestly, if I had stayed back home, with the level of my commitment to the job, I would have surely advanced better.
