Forty-year-old computer science graduate from Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, Tosin Longe, who lives with a disability that affected his left leg from birth, tells AYOOLA OLASUPO about the hardship he has been facing after losing his job eight years ago, the discrimination that makes it difficult for him to secure another job, how he sleeps in the corridor of a friend’s apartment, and his appeal for public assistance
How did you lose one of your legs?
I’m from Okan East Local Government Area of Edo State, and I was born with this condition. It was not an accident, so I’ve been using crutches since childhood. But because of this condition, people have always been looking down on me.
Can you tell us about some of the difficulties you faced in your childhood?
I faced a lot of situations. My mum has been the one supporting me because she would take me to school and bring me back home. I didn’t do things by myself because she was always assisting me in whatever I wanted to do. I faced a lot of challenges because I cannot do things by myself without being helped.
Do you have siblings?
I do. We are six in number; five boys and a girl. I am the second to the last child, and the only one who was born with this condition.
What was the cause of your condition since it was from birth?
I can remember that some years back, I was supposed to go to a programme by Christ Embassy for surgery. We did an X-ray, and the doctor said it wasn’t polio. We were even guessing whether or not it was a medicine my mum took when she was pregnant with me. That could have been the cause because, right from the waist to my leg, everything is thin, but the right one is normal.
How have you been coping with it?
My family members ignored me because of my condition. When some people see me, they often look down on me as if I were a beggar. When I come across somebody and I am about to ask a question, the person will just say, “No, no, no, I don’t have money to give you!” as if I am begging them for money. It is very annoying, and I don’t like that.
What have you been doing to sustain yourself so far?
Before I relocated to Lagos, I was working with a telecommunication company in Lagos when I had nothing else to do. Since then, getting a job has been very difficult for me. I have tried to look for jobs, and even though I am qualified for the job, they will tell me, “We will get back to you, or we can’t employ you.”
A lady came to me and said, “We can’t employ you, and the reason is that you use crutches. Not that you are not qualified, but we would not want to stress you.” She said employing me would look like they were stressing me.
What year did you leave the telecommunications company?
I think it is about eight years ago now. I have been trying to secure employment since then, but to no avail.
Which school did you attend?
I have a Higher National Diploma in Computer Science from Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State. I also attended some computer training schools, including the National Institute of Information Technology.
You’ve been jobless for eight years now. How have you been sorting out your daily needs?
If I say it is easy, it is a lie. It has not been easy at all. It has been hell because even feeding myself is a very big challenge for me. Life has been so difficult for me. As I speak, I’m currently living with someone. The person is living with his wife and a son. For me, I have to wait until they finish whatever they want to do before I can sleep.
Most days, I sleep around 12 am or 1 am. I have to sit in the corridor of the apartment until they finish whatever they are doing before I can enter the house. I am really tired, and sometimes I even think of committing suicide.
I tell myself, “Let me just end this.” I told my pastor at the church about this whole situation. He only told me that he would see what he could do, and that the church has a lot of budget on hand.
How did you move from having an apartment to staying with someone else now?
During the period when I was working, I had an apartment, but because I could not pay the bills, the landlord told me that the house had been sold. He gave me an eviction notice that I should vacate the house.
I had to vacate the house and started looking for a place to stay. I met my friend, who offered to let me stay with him. When I met him, he was not married then.
Now, he is married with a kid, and it is a single-room apartment.
That is why, most of the time, I stay in the corridor till they are done before I can gain access to the room. My activity is always to sleep in the house, and in the morning, I’ll bathe and go out.
Where do you always go when you step out in the morning?
I have a friend who has a shop. I have to sit there with him. But instead of just doing nothing, I decided to learn how to make shoes. So, most of the time, I stay there and learn how to make shoes, bags, and the rest.
Are you done learning the shoemaking business?
Yes, I am. It took me about two years to learn it.
Now that you have completed your training in shoemaking, how do you think people can assist you with your skill and your condition?
I am trying to open my own workshop, where I will be able to sit down, do the work, and have someone assisting me. I am appealing to the public to assist me in getting a shop and the necessary equipment so I can start my own business. Instead of depending on people, I want to be able to make money from my own daily business.
How about your parents?
They are fine. My dad is struggling with a stroke in the village in Auchi, and my mum has been the one assisting him.
Are your siblings not ready to assist you?
My siblings’ contribution has not been encouraging. The only person who could have helped me is my immediate younger sister, but she has had a failed marriage, and she has not been mentally stable. She is the only person who could have helped me. Apart from her, my other brothers are just struggling. They are living from hand to mouth.
How old are you now?
I just turned 40 years old on July 7.
How do you go about feeding yourself since you have no source of income?
For feeding, I learnt how to play the keyboard. I am a keyboardist. Sometimes, I go to churches, and they invite me to play. After the Sunday service, they give me a token, which I manage to feed because I have to buy food. I have a woman who sells food to me. Even if I don’t have money, she gives me food on credit, and whenever I have money, I pay her.
Are you married?
I am not married, but I have a lady whom I am supposed to marry. She was pregnant for me, and we have a son, but because of my situation, she had to leave and stay with her mother. Currently, she is at her mother’s place.
How do people react when you try to seek their help?
At first, I wrote a letter to the Ojo Local Government Council in Lagos State to seek financial assistance. According to the response they gave me, I went there several times. As of now, the letter has not been approved. I went to the office and met the local government chairman. He told me to write a letter, which I did.
I have already written and submitted it. They said they would get back to me and tell me what to do. Till date, I have not heard anything from them, and that is why I’m appealing to Nigerians to come and assist me. This situation is really difficult and has become overwhelming for me.