PUNCH
Omotoso Ajiboye, a Higher National Diploma holder in Accounting from the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, is one of many graduates who have given up on their dreams and settled for menial jobs to make ends meet.
While scampering under the hot sun and covered in sweat, the 43-year-old motorcyclist struggled for passengers alongside other Okada riders at the Alakia Junction in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“This was not what I planned for myself,” he wiggled his head in sadness while describing to our correspondent the hurdles he passes through daily in his desire to live a meaningful life.
According to him, he settled for Okada to get busy after several attempts to get a job failed after completing the National Youth Service Corps at age 30.
He said, “My aspiration was to become an accountant and that was why I did my National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in Accounting, but as you can see, this is what I found myself doing.
“I was already 30 years old when I graduated and many of the companies I applied to were looking for graduates between 25 and 28 years old. After some time, I got tired of looking for a job. A few years ago, my elder brother bought me this Okada; that’s how I joined this business.”
When asked if he had other skills to support himself, the Oyo State indigene said he acquired skills in aluminium construction some years ago.
However, he claimed he could not do anything with the craft due to lack of equipment.
He expressed worry that he was becoming too old for certain employment.
Similarly, 38-year-old Temitope Aladesanwa, a 2014 graduate of political science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, who applied to work with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Nigeria Immigration Service on different occasions, failed as a result of the age requirement.
Aladesanwa, 38, who is married with two kids, also settled for Okada in order to make ends meet for his family.
He said, “The first problem I had after my youth service was that companies were requesting five to 10 years of job experience. Over the years, it became the issue of age because I was around 30 when I completed my youth service but now, I am 38. Most of the jobs out there now are requesting a lower age.
“In the past, I applied to the NSCDC, immigration and the police. In fact, I wanted to apply for the immigration recruitment that was done last year, but having seen the age limit, I couldn’t because it would just be another wasted effort. It is painful that I spent a lot of money schooling and ended up doing this work; this was not the reason I went to school to obtain my degree.”
