Cripple with wife, 3 children: I am tired of begging

CHALLENGE area of Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State, is always very busy, a beehive of sort. New generation banks line both Molete and Ring Road ends of the area, including business offices amidst other commercial activities of buying and selling. The area could easily go for a Central Business District of any urban centre in the country.

As early as 7.00 am there is always a stream of passers-by pursuing their daily bread. Among the number of beggars who rely on the generosity of these passers-by is this physically-challenged man who has made the frontage of one of the commercial banks his ‘office.’ His name is Suraju Ahmed.

Dutifully, he arrives there with punctuality almost on daily basis. His sources of income are the people who daily make the Challenge area the route to their destinations from dawn to dusk.

“God will help you as you help me; help me! Aunty, uncle, have pity on me!” Suraju would habitually shout in Yoruba to no one in particular, expecting that at least from time to time one of the passers-by would indeed pity him for his condition and give him some money. On this particular day, he laid sprawled on the floor shielded from the elements by his red and white umbrella which serves the dual purpose of shielding him from the rain or the sun, depending on the weather.

A passer-by would often throw a dirty N100, N50, N20 or N10 into his carton of collectibles, depending on his generosity, as he continues to bellow for more.

Residents and commuters who pass along Idi-odo and Challenge Areas know Suraju very well, though most of them don’t know his name. His problems are manifold. Not only is he crippled, he is also partially blind.

Suraju cuts the picture of the biblical man at the pool of Bethesda. Nobody knows how long he has been begging on that particular spot. He, also, doesn’t know exactly how long he has been there, but he knows it has been since he was a child.

He does not know the nature of his disability, but he is obviously a victim of polio that has intermittently been ravaging parts of the country for decades. Suraju could only say he was born this way.

Dayo, an Okada rider who plies his trade around the spot where Suraju begs said he has been seeing him there as far back as he could remember.

“I have been seeing this man here since I have been working here and even before I started working. I give him little change sometimes when I have money,” he said.

Sunday Tribune moved closer to Suraju to have a chat with him. He spoke of his family background and how he ended up on the street.

“I am 35 years old, I am from Ibadan. I was born with these deformities and I cannot precisely say how many years I have been on this street; but it is since my childhood days,” he stated.

Suraju lives at Ayeye area of the city and an Okada rider brings him to the spot every day. Just when one may be thinking Suraju is so unfortunate that no woman would want to marry him given his condition, it could surprise anyone that Suraju actually has a family – a wife and three children. His wife sells fish at the market and his children are of ages four, three and two.

Suraju has a strict 8-hour working day. He gets to his spot by 7 a.m and leaves by 3 p.m. Sometimes he does not come at all preferring to stay at home to look after any of his children if the need arises.

Speaking on his family background, Suraju said he is an orphan but has a sibling who is a footballer based in Abuja but they hardly meet.

“I am an orphan, I only have an elder brother who plays football in Abuja but I have received no help from him. The money I make from begging, I use it to support my wife and send my children to school,” he said.

So how did he meet his wife? Suraju smiled with a far-away look in his eyes. He responded that he met her in a bus in the course of a journey. They both got talking and Suraju made a move to win the lady’s heart. She did not object and as they say, the rest is history.

Suraju must be very active as a man given that his children’s ages are only one year in between.

“I have no regret concerning my choice. I am the one paying their school fees. My wife is very supportive and \God is in control,” he said.

As a family man and with the future at stake, Suraju believes he should not live the rest of his life begging on this same street where has made his office for decades. He has tried his best to be a responsible family man, helping his wife in the market and taking care of his children and doing house chores.

He therefore wants fellow Nigerians to help him secure a future for his family. He is also seeking help from government and philanthropists to help him in any way possible.

“Any type of assistance is welcome. Because of my disability, I do not have any skill but if I am given an opportunity, I will like to start my own business outfit where I will be selling cables and electrical wire,” he stated with a breath of hope.