Written by Munir Maitama
My fuel gauge had not been working for a quite number of weeks, which I believe one day I would be at risk somewhere. Because I might not know when and where my car would stop.
I never thought I would one day be part of the people that I have always been yelling at for carelessly leaving thier fuel gauge faulty due to one reason or another. Everything comes for a reason and sometimes things happen the way you don't anticipate.
It was yesterday around 8:30pm when my Car ran out of fuel and stopped exactly at one particular Homestead Called " Matage" along Kano-Zaria Express way when I was returning to my Hometown from Kano City. I was cashless at the moment when my car halted, Although I was carrying some valuable items Worth to be Thousand of Naira.
I was stuck for almost a quarter of an hour just thinking of what to do, before I even got out from the car and immediately I got out of the car I sighted someone from far distance who happens to be selling fuel "Preferably Black Market". Immediately I saw him from distance I headed to his direction and when I reached him, I saw a young Man between the age of 27-28 Years old sitting alone on praying mat waiting for Customers.
I quickly shook his hand by saying "Salamu Alaikum" which he answered and replied by saying "Wa'alaikumus Salam". Immediately after exchanging pleasantries with a man who happens to be of the same age with me I narrated the whole of my story within some minutes and asked him for a two litres of Fuel before I come out the following morning which He "Musa" denied furiously.
When I realized Musa would not go easy on me I brought out my smartphone " HTC and SAMSUNG" which I offered to him in Exchange of 2 litres of fuel that's not more than N300 before morning when I'll be returning back to Kano City from my Hometown Kura, a Conditional offer which "Musa" rejected and asked me to leave if I was not looking for his trouble.
I kept on pleading and offering items including my Wristwatch and GPS device while Musa remained very adamant that he would not give his 2 litres of petrol or accept my conditional offers. He started narrating a story that people do used to come the same way I came to ask for a gallon or half gallon of fuel but at the end of the day when they get they don't come back to pay him. A story which I saw it different from mine although I concur with him on it.
But after listening to his story in an undeserved manner I became very angry and highly irritated when I saw that I was running out of time and favour to convince a young man of my age and who might likely happened to be among the Youths agitating and clamouring for the newly passed bill Campaign " #NotTooYoungToRun".
I started thinking of better alternative since the one I tried proved to be abortive and later I concluded in parking my car in one of the places I saw cars being parked, a decision which I had to pay N1000 said by the Guards on duty. And the next step I thought was going through my Contacts to search for Jameelu, a friend I met long time through another friend "Mahmoud" from Hotoro but I was unlucky as his number was stored on my stolen phone a very long time ago.
I had to quickly called Mahmoud to send me back Jameelu's phone number but unfortunately his number was switched off then. I also had to promptly dialled Zaks Phone number which I believe he might have it on his phone apart from Mahmoud but this time around I was lucky to got it back to my phone.
Jameelu is a long time friend like I said earlier through Mahmoud. Jameelu stays in Karfi town along Kano-Kaduna Road some kilometers away from where my car halted. He relocated to Karfi from Hotoro alongside his father for an Assignment by a Foreign NGO. Having his number back to me I quickly called and got him on the line immediately after the first call and asked him to come over to that village which he appeared in less than 15 minutes with a gallon of petrol without any hesitation, an idea which I have thought about for a very long time before even approaching "Musa".
Once after I got my car back and ready to move I went back to say bye to "headstrong Boy Musa" and requested for his phone number just to see if we could become friends and if I could help him change and become a better youth.
From there I promised myself that I'll be checking on him from time to time and even to invite him for an interactive meeting with students and youths.
Musa read NCE in Languages from Sa'adatu Rimi College of Education, Kano. As a youth I know he has interest in politics and he will one day become a politician and if he does not change his stubbornness alot of people will cry and suffer under him. From there we had a little conversation with Jameelu while driving home.
Now, What lesson do you acquire from this piece of story?
What is your contribution toward rejuvenating people like Musa?
Munir Yusuf Maitama, Geologist and Politician writes from Kano.
My fuel gauge had not been working for a quite number of weeks, which I believe one day I would be at risk somewhere. Because I might not know when and where my car would stop.
I never thought I would one day be part of the people that I have always been yelling at for carelessly leaving thier fuel gauge faulty due to one reason or another. Everything comes for a reason and sometimes things happen the way you don't anticipate.
It was yesterday around 8:30pm when my Car ran out of fuel and stopped exactly at one particular Homestead Called " Matage" along Kano-Zaria Express way when I was returning to my Hometown from Kano City. I was cashless at the moment when my car halted, Although I was carrying some valuable items Worth to be Thousand of Naira.
I was stuck for almost a quarter of an hour just thinking of what to do, before I even got out from the car and immediately I got out of the car I sighted someone from far distance who happens to be selling fuel "Preferably Black Market". Immediately I saw him from distance I headed to his direction and when I reached him, I saw a young Man between the age of 27-28 Years old sitting alone on praying mat waiting for Customers.
I quickly shook his hand by saying "Salamu Alaikum" which he answered and replied by saying "Wa'alaikumus Salam". Immediately after exchanging pleasantries with a man who happens to be of the same age with me I narrated the whole of my story within some minutes and asked him for a two litres of Fuel before I come out the following morning which He "Musa" denied furiously.
When I realized Musa would not go easy on me I brought out my smartphone " HTC and SAMSUNG" which I offered to him in Exchange of 2 litres of fuel that's not more than N300 before morning when I'll be returning back to Kano City from my Hometown Kura, a Conditional offer which "Musa" rejected and asked me to leave if I was not looking for his trouble.
I kept on pleading and offering items including my Wristwatch and GPS device while Musa remained very adamant that he would not give his 2 litres of petrol or accept my conditional offers. He started narrating a story that people do used to come the same way I came to ask for a gallon or half gallon of fuel but at the end of the day when they get they don't come back to pay him. A story which I saw it different from mine although I concur with him on it.
But after listening to his story in an undeserved manner I became very angry and highly irritated when I saw that I was running out of time and favour to convince a young man of my age and who might likely happened to be among the Youths agitating and clamouring for the newly passed bill Campaign " #NotTooYoungToRun".
I started thinking of better alternative since the one I tried proved to be abortive and later I concluded in parking my car in one of the places I saw cars being parked, a decision which I had to pay N1000 said by the Guards on duty. And the next step I thought was going through my Contacts to search for Jameelu, a friend I met long time through another friend "Mahmoud" from Hotoro but I was unlucky as his number was stored on my stolen phone a very long time ago.
I had to quickly called Mahmoud to send me back Jameelu's phone number but unfortunately his number was switched off then. I also had to promptly dialled Zaks Phone number which I believe he might have it on his phone apart from Mahmoud but this time around I was lucky to got it back to my phone.
Jameelu is a long time friend like I said earlier through Mahmoud. Jameelu stays in Karfi town along Kano-Kaduna Road some kilometers away from where my car halted. He relocated to Karfi from Hotoro alongside his father for an Assignment by a Foreign NGO. Having his number back to me I quickly called and got him on the line immediately after the first call and asked him to come over to that village which he appeared in less than 15 minutes with a gallon of petrol without any hesitation, an idea which I have thought about for a very long time before even approaching "Musa".
Once after I got my car back and ready to move I went back to say bye to "headstrong Boy Musa" and requested for his phone number just to see if we could become friends and if I could help him change and become a better youth.
From there I promised myself that I'll be checking on him from time to time and even to invite him for an interactive meeting with students and youths.
Musa read NCE in Languages from Sa'adatu Rimi College of Education, Kano. As a youth I know he has interest in politics and he will one day become a politician and if he does not change his stubbornness alot of people will cry and suffer under him. From there we had a little conversation with Jameelu while driving home.
Now, What lesson do you acquire from this piece of story?
What is your contribution toward rejuvenating people like Musa?
Munir Yusuf Maitama, Geologist and Politician writes from Kano.
0 Comments