Expdonaloaded News; 15-year-old pupil conquers unemployment

At the busy Watt Market, Calabar, Cross River State, a teenager’s voice rang out like a bell in a crowded park. It was the voice of 15-year-old tricycle rider, Charles Effiong Mbarake, calling on passengers to board his keke. “Ekpo-Abasi! White House,” he shrilled at the top of his voice.
His young age aroused the curiosity of Expdonaloaded blog reporter, who got closer to ask him why he chose such a touting job. He smiled satisfactorily and explained that he was an SS1 student of Government Secondary Akim, Calabar, but ventured into the tricycle business as a young entrepreneur to fend for himself.

“I am doing this to help myself in school so that I would not be dependent on my parents. I started this last year. I am in SS1. My mother is a civil servant. She works at Pinn Margaret Secondary School. My father is staying in Akwa Ibom State. I don’t want to ask my parents to give me everything I want, so that is the reason you see me on the road riding keke”, he said.
Effiong said he smiles home with N5000 and N7000 daily, depending on the weather condition. He said his parents have not frowned at his job, which had left him with enough pocket money for his use.
“My mother and father are aware that I usually hire keke to ride. People tell them that they saw me at the market. I am comfortable with it because I am not doing an illegal business. I am proud to tell anybody that that I am a keke rider because I have a vision and my dream is to become an engineer in future. It is a very good business because customers are always available. My advice to other youths is to be industrious and perhaps, learn how to drive keke because it pays. I learnt how to drive keke in one day. At times my customers would shout at me to go school and stop the business. I laugh at them because they don’t know that that I am in school,” he said.
Effiong said he remits the sum of N2,500 daily to his boss who owns the tricycle. He told this reporter that he was happy with what he was doing and advised other jobless youths, including graduates, to find something, no matter how small, to earn their daily bread.
The teenager said learning to ride a keke was not a big deal to him because he knew how to ride a bicycle perfectly, adding that it took him a day to master it very well. Staying on the road most times exposed him to street life but he denied that his trade had a negative influence on his life.
“ I don’t have a girl friend. I use the small money I make to buy textbooks and clothes to look good on Sundays. What I am doing is never a distraction to my studies because I follow my school timetable and it doesn’t affect my studies. I want to be an engineer. I am planning to buy my own keke so that I can hire it to others while I am still in school,” he said.
One of the transporters, who plies the same route with the young boy, Anietie Ukpong, said he was surprised when Effiong joined the business. He said other tricycle riders thought he would run away after few days but he kept faith in the business.
“We have no problem with him, he is a young boy and has registered with the union but I will advise him to focus on his studies so that he can graduate with a better result and become useful to the society. At least, he has parents who are ready to train him in school. I don’t see any reason why he should take to this line of trade,’ he said
A concerned teacher, Peter Udosen, 35, said the business would surely distract Effiong from his studies and advised him to remain focused on his education and allow his parents to cater for him. He explained that riding the keke would not allow him sufficient study time after school.