To differentiate the graduate truck drivers from the
conventional trailer drivers, instructors at the Nigerian Institute of
Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria call them logistics assistants. Most of the
graduates who applied to work as truck drivers with the Dangote Group of
Companies qualified as engineers, architects, chemists, mathematicians, just
but to mention a few. This is why, perhaps, the NITT instructors quickly
attempted to professionalise the Graduate Truck Driving Scheme with the alias
of Logistics Assistants.
Out of the about 13,000 graduates reported to have
applied to be employed as truck drivers, some of them hold Ph.D degrees. Others
had obtained masters degrees in different fields while thousands are graduates
of different universities, polytechnics, federal colleges of education and
other tertiary institutions with qualifications that cut across engineering,
sciences, social sciences and arts.
The lucky graduates among the army of the applicants
were only 2,000. These 2,000 graduates are scheduled to undergo a training
programme in batches at the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT),
Zaria, which would be run in four years. The about 100 pioneer batch of the
graduate-drivers have already commenced a three-month training at the NITT. Read more after the cut
Although all the trainees interviewed by Weekly
Trust said they were attracted by the reputation that the Dangote Group had
earned for itself internationally, other reasons like spending many years
without viable job, passion and lust for high pay contributed to the large turn
up of graduates to apply to work as truck drivers.
Observers said for the young graduates to accept to
work as truck drivers is indeed commendable.
Banker turned truck driver tells his story
Henry Pender is a graduate of Political Science from
the University of Ibadan. Pender graduated in 2000 and has worked as a banker,
yet he is among the about 100 graduates undergoing training to become truck
drivers; or rather logistics assistants. Pender is also the class governor of
this first batch of trainees.
“After my service, I had the privilege of being
retained at the Rivers State Primary Education Board where I did my primary
assignment. I was with them for about a year before I joined the All States
Trust Bank, which is now defunct. I worked with them for three years before I
joined the Ecobank, from there I moved to the Oceanic Bank before joining
Ecobank again after the acquisition of Oceanic Bank by Ecobank.
“I had to leave the banking industry when I married
my colleague, because the human resource policy then did not allow spouses to
work in the same office. I felt that my wife should stay behind while I as a
man would look around for something to do. It wasn’t easy, because the job was
not forthcoming as I thought. I attended a couple of interviews at different
places, but I didn’t get what I was looking for.
“When this opportunity of becoming truck driver with
Dangote presented itself, I applied with open mind. I felt that this is an
opportunity for a new beginning to move into a new paradigm that is not
explored. We have just begun the journey in the Nigerian Institute of Transport
Technology (NITT). I was pleasantly surprised when I came here to see people
from different backgrounds and professions.
“We are all getting along very well. I am looking
forward for an experience that would improve our larger society. Dangote has
put something in place that would turn out to be a revolution in the transport
industry in this country. I think this programme would eventually become a
model that all organisations of international standard would adopt in no
distance future.
“From personal point of view, I like driving. I have
driven a lot since when I became a professional driver and I like travelling.
But by coming here, I have been exposed to the academic side of driving. I feel
that whatever I do as a graduate, there should be a level of expected
difference from what a layman would do. I think the objective of employing
graduates as drivers is for sanity to be restored on our highways. Most of us
are victims of the recklessness of heavy truck drivers and this is what this
initiative wants to address. We are being trained here to become complete
gentlemen as drivers,” Pender said.
He explained that he has, essentially, decided to
join the truck driving profession out of interest not for material reward.
“As at the time we had our interview, there was no
mention of any material reward. It is now that we are hearing that after a
successful driving for a certain period, or covering of certain mileage that
one would own a truck or things like that. No such thing was mentioned; there
was no mention of special incentives rather than we would be employed and paid
salaries.
“What I would say lured me into joining the truck
driving profession is the name Dangote that is known locally and
internationally. I bet you that if it were some other companies that came up
with this initiative, some of us may not be here but the mention of the name
Dangote, one would know that there is quality; there is a personality behind
it; there is international recognition; that is what lured most of us here
beyond any other material gain.
“We only discovered the entrepreneurial incentive of
this programme when we came here; when most of us have completed their
registration. Being somebody who had the experience of the banking sector, I
would quickly join Dangote, because I know I would have job security and we are
enjoying ourselves here in the NITT as the pioneer batch of this training
programme. I never knew there is an institute like the NITT in Nigeria. We are
grateful to them for the knowledge they are impacting in us.
“I want to also use this medium to urge the youth of
Nigeria to work hard. We have to make names for ourselves by working hard as it
is not all of us who are children of the privileged, therefore we are here as
part of our dignity of labour. I would rather stay here and do this work than
apply for visa to go abroad and face all kinds of humiliation by washing toilets
or driving taxi while I have a similar option here, which I would do with
dignity and leave a good example for the upcoming ones,” Pender explained.
No comments:
Post a Comment