For those who regularly ply the Asa Dam, Gaa-Akanbi, Akerebiata and Oja-Oba axis in Ilorin metropolis, the capital city of Kwara State, one sight that beckons daily especially in the early morning hours is that of the labourers popularly called “Girisope” in the local parlance who converged waiting for engagement that will fetch them their daily bread.
The site of their chaotic communication in the process of getting the attention of their would be employers is in total contrast with the epithet of Kwara as State of Harmony.
A sneak peek into the life of the Kwara labourer reveals the pains, frustrations and travails that these people go through all to make ends meet.
According to Taiye Aluko from Oja Iya, Oke Aluko area of Ilorin, who has spent a decade on the work, while speaking with North Central Trust, he usually follows the bricklayers to site to work for them.
He said: I have had lot of experiences in this job, one of which is the endless queue we usually engage every morning waiting for a bricklayer to come and pick us up from the place we usually converge which is always frustrating.
On challenges, Aluko said there are instances where they had gone to work for someone who will end up not even paying at all after a whole day of hard work or non-availability of sand or other essential materials after they get to site and they go back home disappointed and dejected.
According to Aluko, the job has its own system of apprenticeship under a boss, but the duration of the learning depends on individual ability to grasp what is being taught. He said some people get trained for a year, two of five years.
He said lack of coordination, regulation and organisation is a major challenge. “We all just gather at our usual spots with people from different places like Omu-Aran and even from other states hoping to be contracted. Now, we don’t have a union of our own as it obtains in other vocations. Everybody acts as he/she pleases and our conduct depends on what the bricklayer, who is our boss for the day wants. We’ll get to work by 7 am and some job can last up to 8pm in the evening and so no time for family.
According to him, technology has not really impacted the work but many of them are educated. “We even have some graduates among us. At present the least a labourer earns is N1,500 daily but we still manage to cater for our families.’’
Another labourer, Jimoh Olaiya while lamenting the meager pay said they hardly have any saving and demanded for a rise in wages. He said COVID-19 has really affected them especially during lockdown because of the restriction on movements.
Some of the hazards these labourers have encountered include snake bites, attacks by dangerous animals and some of them get hit by a shovel during work or even falling from high rise building leading to death of others or permanent disability.
“We have many female and male labourers. Gender is not a barrier once you are fit, although our employers do have preferences for male workers. The pay differs as some jobs are too complex for female workers to do,’’ Jimoh said.
The President of Bricklayers Association of Nigeria, Kwara State branch, Alhaji Abdulraheem Bello Ayenigba, harped on the need for synergy adding that the labourers are key to many construction work.
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