The second set of a certificate course in auto-mobile repairs programme at the University of Ibadan resumed lectures two Saturdays ago. SEGUN OLUGBILE who was at the event, reports that more Nigerian mechanics irrespective of age and gender are heading to the class to upgrade their knowledge in mobile technology.
They are two of a kind. Though one is a grandfather and a mechanic, the other is a 200 level student of Political Science at the Olabisi Onabanjo university, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. The two are in search of knowledge. They want to learn new technology in auto repairs. The two, 66-year-old roadside mechanic, Mr. Bilawu Alao Kareem, and 19-year-old Olayemi Abina are some of the people that have enrolled for a certificate course in automobile technology at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The university’s Centre for Distance Learning had in conjunction with an automobile firm, MAGBEN Automotive Technology, a Lagos based firm that specialises in auto repairs, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering of UI, designed the automobile technology repairs curriculum aimed at empowering mechanics on how to repair vehicles that come with new technology. The first set of 35 mechanics that participated in the maiden programme between August and November last year got their certificates at an event at the Faculty of Technology of the institution penultimate Saturday. Also, new students who were mostly auto mechanics were matriculated the same day.
When our correspondent first saw the one-legged grandfather, walking with the aid of local crutches among the new students, he had thought he was one of the retired labourers or unskilled members of staff of the university. Even when the programme started and he entered the large lecture theatre of the institution’s Faculty of Technology, the venue of the event, our correspondent had mistaken him for a parent who had come to rejoice with one of the youthful mechanics. But when the Director, Distance Learning Centre, Prof. Adebayo Okunade, introduced him as one of the new students for the auto-mobile repair course, all heads turned towards his direction. This is because he was not just the oldest, he was also physically challenged. But in spite of his challenge, he exuded life and confidence. So, it was with joy that he agreed to speak with our correspondent when asked for a chat.
According to him, ignorance on his own part and inadequate facilities at the nation’s hospital led to the amputation of one of his legs. “I was not born with one leg. I had diabetes but I did not know, it destroyed my leg before I knew. But I’m not bothered by this because I’m happy that I’m still alive. I will soon get a device that will aid my movement,” he stated.
So, why did he enrol for the programme? The Oyo born mechanic said the urge to be better on his job was the reason for it. The man, who spoke in Yoruba language, interjected with smattering English said, “Learning does not have an end, only the dead cannot learn. Our vocation has changed, technology has changed it and if one does not expose himself to learning, he will be out of business.
But Kareem, who is also the Chairman, Automobile Repairs Association, Oyo/Eruwa zone, in Oyo State, called on the Federal Government to de-emphasise possession of academic certificate when employing people.
He said from his experience, most engineering graduates were half-baked. “Most of these children that go to technical colleges, polytechnics and universities cannot repair a bicycle, let alone a vehicle and they call them engineers. When some of them get job, they still come to us for help. Government should change this trend by placing emphasis on one’s ability to perform,” he said.
If Kareem had come in search of new knowledge, Abina said she enrolled for the programme as a way of feeding her passion.
“I love fiddling with engine. I enjoy dismantling things and fixing them together again even though I’m a girl. When I was at Anglican Secondary School, Abeokuta, Ogun State, I was in the science class thinking that I would study engineering but I did not do well in the sciences,” she said.
Abina, therefore, settled for social sciences and in 2007, the third child in a family of five, got admission to OOU to study Political Science.
But her civil engineering father, who had identified her passion since she was in the primary school, saw the story of the automobile course in The PUNCH last September and intimated her daughter about it. The happy girl jumped at the opportunity by enrolling as one of the pioneer students of the certificate prgramme. Not satisfied with her skill, Abina has also enrolled for the second set and has also devised a strategy whereby she now combines apprenticeship and schooling together.
“Now I can detect faults in a car and recommend what should be done to make it work,” she said.
To prove herself, Abina used one of the cars brought to the ceremony as a test case. She did not just scan the vehicle to detect its fault, she also provided solution to the car’s fault. Sharing her experience with mechanics in her class, Abina said that most of the mechanics were very intelligent.
“Though most of them could not speak correct English, I can tell you that they are extremely intelligent. They know most of what we were taught but when the lecturers speak English, they are lost but as soon as the lecturer speaks the local language or pidgin, they quickly understand what is being taught,” she said.
Abina plans to take up a career in auto-repairs after completing her degree programme at OOU.
“But let me finish my degree first, after that I will live my dream of owning a big, state of the art auto-repair workshop,” she said.
One of the lecturers, Mr. Olugbenga Agbana and the Coordinator of the programme, Dr. O.J Jeje, said the mechanics were wonderful people to work with.
“Yes, they don’t speak correct English but they can fix cars. They can now repair vehicles they could not repair before and that is the aim of this programme. We do not intend to turn them into another Prof. Wole Soyinka, what we want to achieve is that since technology has changed the face of automobiles and as an institution, we are set up to solve societal problems, we should be able to empower our auto-mechanics to handle cars that come with new technology,” Agbana said.
“With what I’ve seen them do, something tells me that Nigeria has hope but we should play down on paper certificates, we should encourage creative and talented Nigerians like our motor mechanics,” he said.
Other mechanics, who gave testimonies of how the programme had impacted their work included 38 year-old Akanbi Ahmed, who is also the Managing Director, AK Tech Automobile, Ilorin, Kwara State. He said that the course had opened his eyes to the importance of education, training and retraining.
He said, “I participated in the first set and because of what I gained, I went back to Ilorin to inform other mechanics about the programme. They believed me when they discovered that I was already ahead of them.”
Some of Ahmed’s friends, who registered for the second set of the programme included Mr. Saliu Olowu, who said that the former’s noticeable expertise after his exposure to the programme informed his decision to enrol for the programme.
“I’m here to learn so that I can earn more. My friend has come and I can see the impact on his job. In fact, some of us in Ilorin now have to depend on him for solutions to some of these complex cars. I want to learn and my expectation from the programme is that it should increase my knowledge about car repairs,” he said.
Olowu advised anybody that wanted to take up career in auto-mobile repairs to be educated so as to be able to operate
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