ADEYEMO Abiodun wasn’t born blind but for the past 18 years, he has suffered visual impairment. Unlike many many others in the same plight, he has not allowed the loss of sight to truncate his age-long dreams and aspirations for life.
A native of Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo State, Abiodun is the only child of his parents. He was a brilliant pupil right from his early days at C & S Primary School at Tappa. Then, many of his teachers had tipped him for a glowing future. But his world started crashing when he was in Primary Four as his sight became blurry, while his eyes started itching him. Unknown to him that he was drifting closer to complete loss of sight, he started scratching the eyes, which gradually turned red and watery.
“At first, people said termites had entered my eyes and that it will get better. But instead, it got worse to the extent that I couldn’t see the board clearly. Everything became blurry. There was no money to take me to the hospital. We would barely feed due to the poor state of my parents. I kept managing the eye like that. But when we were about to be promoted to Primary Six, I lost my sight completely and couldn’t go to school again. Then, I tried going for menial jobs, but at some point, I couldn’t go for the jobs again. The blindness started with one eye and later, it infected the other.
“Though the blindness started when I was in primary school, I lost my sight completely when I was 15 years old. Now, I am close to 30 years,” the young man recounted to Sunday Tribune.
Owing to the fact that he could not complete his primary school education due to the loss of sight, Abiodun couldn’t proceed for his secondary school education as well. Though, there are schools for the blind, they couldn’t afford the tuition fees. When education was no longer possible for him, he started learning panel-bitting, but at a stage, he couldn’t go to the workshop again. Even when he couldn’t see well, he was still going for the training till everything became dark and he had to stop.
“When the loss of sight confined me to a spot, I couldn’t leave home again. I started making coal pot as a way of livelihood instead of taking to street begging. I started manufacturing coal pots in large quantities. During that time, God gave me some technical knowledge and with it, I started repairing faulty torchlight and lamps in addition to the coal pots making.’
“Surprisingly, many people do wonder how a visually-impaired person like me can repair faulty gadgets; they wonder how I get to see the wires and interiors of the lamps; but God’s grace has made it possible and easy for me to the extent that without my sight, I can repair any torch light or big lamps. God has taught me how to discover a faulty battery, bulb or wires. Since I lost my sight, I have been living on the money I make from the repairs of lamps and sales of coal pots. I sell each coal pot for 400 Naira or 500 Naira, depending on its size and people have been patronizing me greatly.”
But at some points, coal pots started becoming old-fashioned while steel which Abiodun often used, became very scarce and expensive. At that point, he was bereft of ideas, making it look as if his past poverty-stricken existence would return. But he ditched the ill-feeling and instead saw his sudden change in fortune as an opportunity to start his most passionate dreams in life: music. Right from his secluded abode, he reignited his passion and talent for music.
“I started gospel Juju music in 2015. Now, I have a band. And by God’s grace, I have started getting musical shows as people have been calling my band to perform at their events. Through the help of God and Barrister Olonade, I produced two albums in 2018 alone. The titles of the two albums are ‘Ranmilowo’ and ‘Level Mi Ti Yato’. Since then, I have made several compositions, but lack of finance hasn’t made it possible to go to the studio again for another album. I want Nigerians to assist me so that I won’t have to beg like other people before feeding; I too want to make it in life because I don’t want to beg. Those who beg on the streets don’t wish to; it’s just the condition they find themselves,” he pleaded.
Though Abiodun’s parents tried all they could to help, but they couldn’t make it happen. His parents live on selling firewood. “We had been to the University of Ibadan Teaching Hospital (UCH) twice. Then, the doctors asked us to come back for treatment and surgery. But there was no money. So we couldn’t go back there,” his father narrated.
Since losing his sights, Abiodun said he had faced many horrific ordeals.
“The loss of sights relegated me to my room for 18 years. Right on one spot, I fed, urinated and did all sort of things. People brought me all kinds of leftovers, but I had no choice but to eat them except I want to starve. When my situation became tough, to the extent that having a single meal per day became nearly impossible, I wept bitterly and cried to God. He came to my rescue. He sent helpers to me and opened my inner eyes to the trade I do to make a living now.”
On the kind of support he needed, he said: “I need help to restore my sight; I also want Nigerians to help me with a shop where I could be doing my coal pot business properly and also provide me little funds to procure the needed steel materials to start. “I want Nigerians to help me promote my gospel music career. I have many composed songs already, but lack the money to fund my studio works and projects. I have no one to help me except God because even my parents are penniless.”