Taiwo and Kehinde Popoola, 47-year-old blind twins vendors at the Gbeemu Newspapers’ Distribution Centre, in the heart of Osogbo,the Osun State capital. They share their challenging, but encouraging existence with OLUWOLE IGE.

Interview with Taiwo

can you tell us a little about your self?

I am 47 years old. My name is David Taiwo Popoola and I am a newspaper vendor in Osogbo

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For how long have you been selling newspapers on the streets?

I and my brother started selling newspapers about 33 years ago. Then, the cover price of the Nigerian Tribune was 20 kobo.

You seem to be very popular among the people here and many residents of Osogbo, including politicians and government officials really know you and your twin brother, Kehinde. What is responsible for your popularity?

First, it is God that makes us to be popular. Secondly, we are known to many because we are identical twins and due to the job of selling newspapers, large number of people know us very well in Osogbo, Ilobu, Ejigbo, Ede, Ikirun and several other communities in Osun State.

Are you married?

Yes, I am married and God has blessed the marriage with children

Did you get married the same day with your twin brother, Kehinde?

No, we did not get married the same day. But a friend of us was the best man for two of us on the different days and years when we married our wives. Kehinde got married in year 2000, while I tied the nuptial knot with my wife in 2002. What I am trying to say is that it is the same person that played the role of bestman to the two of us.

How did both of you become blind and suffer sight challenge?

We cannot really say this is what caused our eye problem, but we remember that when we were in primary school, it was very difficult for the two of us, I mean myself and Kehinde, to see objects from far distance.

Did you not call the attention of your parents to the eye defect at that point in time?

We told them about the issue at that time. We also went to some hospitals to do a check up of what was happening to our eyes. I could remember what doctors in those hospitals told us then was the need to obtain eye glasses.

As a newspaper vendor, what are the challenges you are facing, considering your condition as a vendor that is blind?

We can see partially at times. Some of our old friends or people that come to read newspapers at our stand also do assist us take newspapers to customers who want to buy or somebody across the road or street. They will buy the newspapers from us from some of our stands, like in Oke Fia or Oja Oba areas.

In the course of your daily business transactions, how do you differentiate between the various denominations of the Nigerian currency?

What I do personally is to put N1,000 notes inside my trouser’s pocket on the left side. So, I would not put or dip my fingers into that left pocket, except I want to use N1,000 note (s). The N500 notes would be at the back pocket. Then, the N200 notes would be in another place; ditto for N100 notes and N50 notes, respectively. More importantly, the currency notes are different in texture compared to glossy paper and others.

How do you separate these currency notes?

Like I said, N100 notes would be in a particular pocket. If somebody wants to collect N300 balance, having given us N500 note, we would go to where there are N200 notes.

You should know that you normally pick these currency notes from your pockets. How do you arrange these notes in your pockets?

N1,000 can be like the underlay for the currencies. N500 would be on top. So, if we bring the arranged currency notes out, we know that we have N1,000 notes lying at the bottom and the N500 notes on top of them.

You both have one thing in common; you have a very high sense of humour and many of your friends are always seen around you. Did you both have the funny character traits as young children or you developed the sense of humour when you started selling newspapers?

It is like we have been naturally funny right from our childhood days. But you will realise that ojoojumo ni inu eye ndun (birds are always happy). You can never meet us sad.

How many children do you have now?

I have four children, including males and females

Do you have female admirers?

Yes, I do. But, this does not affect my marital responsibilities.

Have you reached out to the government, eminent Nigerians or corporate bodies to intervene and help you to regain your sight?

We are not limiting our appeal to just the government but anybody that God sends can help us because we desire to see with our eyes again. We have tried self-help by seeking for help on our own by going to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso and the National Hospital, Abuja to seek medical services so that we can regain our sight. A former Minister of State, Alhaji Najeemdeen Awodele, was the one that took us to the National Hospital, Abuja.

But do you still have hope that both of you can see again?

By the grace of God, we believe that we can still see again. That is why we are always in a happy mood and we don’t give room for sadness, with the firm belief in God that we can see again. We struggle everyday to survive and live an independent life.

Interview with Kehinde

Tell me a little about your background

My name is Michael Kehinde Popoola and I am 47 years old. I am married and have two children. But, I still want to have more children.

You usually say that a kind-hearted person will give birth to twins. What informed this conviction of yours?

What I mean by that expression is that it is somebody that is blessed by God that can have twins as children and giving birth to twins is a blessing in disguise. This is what the rich cannot buy.

How will you feel if wife your gives birth to twins?

Yes, I will want my wife to give birth to twins. I will be very happy to have twins as children.

You are famous in Osogbo and the neighbouring communities. What is responsible for this fame?

My brother and I are likable characters. Even in the area where we reside, we are loved by everybody. We are hardworking and we are not the lazy type. We have lived in Egbatedo area, Oke Fia and the Old Governor’s Office area before we moved to our personal residence, where God has given us. Even though we have not finished the building and construction work on the site, we are managing the place. Both of us will be living inside the apartment, along with our families when the building is finally completed. We have been living together right from our childhood and we would live together with our wives and children until death do us apart.

How do you feel with your present condition, you cannot see?

Nobody can be happy with this kind of pitiable situation because eyes are the light of the body, as the popular Yoruba proverb says, oju lewa ara. We, however, don’t allow our present condition to overwhelm us or give us a defeatist attitude to life. But, we will continue to plead with God for His mercy and help. We have never allowed this eyesight challenge to bring sadness to our souls. It has not affected our faith in God but we are not happy being somehow blind.

What are the challenges that you are facing?

With the grace of God, we are very wise. Before the start of a new day, we normally prepare for the challenge or difficult tasks that we may possibly encounter. In a nutshell, we are prepared for any kind of challenge every day, any day and every minute. We would not allow the challenge or any unprecedented situation to catch us unaware. But, if we are suddenly caught off guard, we would seek for help and explain the situation to people around so that they can help us to fix such problem.

How would you like the government or any kind-hearted Nigerian to help you to regain your sight?

We are not only looking up to the government in our quest to regain our sight. While the government can do whatever it is at its disposal, we also want pastors and muslim clerics to help us to call on God so that we can see again.

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