Lilian Igwe an NCE graduate of Ebonyi State College of Education in southeast Nigeria is the only female welder in the state. Prior to her foray into welding, she learnt computer engineering and hairdressing also. Ruth Oginyi caught up with her.
With about 11 male apprentices working with her, Ms. Igwe announced in her church that any girl interested in learning to weld would be trained free of charge. A few months later, three young ladies came but they found the job too arduous and left.
She has however encouraged upcoming girls and women to avoid idleness and engage in meaningful ventures to overcome the temptation.
Excerpts.
“My male colleagues treat me well. Whenever we are doing anything as a group, they must call me first before calling other colleagues. They call me Chair Lady and I’m happy to be with them.
“The challenge I am having is this thing government is doing. They keep pursuing people here and there. The place government gave artisans at the building materials market is just 40ft by 20 which is nothing. If you watch where I am now, it is more than a plot. Then, they gave me 40ft by 20. I can’t even manage it. I have three Listers. I have my caravan. I have eleven boys. So where will I keep them and all these things here? I want the government to just look into this issue. We are interested to move but not the way they are doing it. Let them just give us time and look for a very large space for us to stay.
“Immediately you come into this workshop, I will tell you it is a lady that owns this workshop. This is in case I tell you to do something and you will not do it or want to fight me. You better go back to your place. I do tell them on time so that if they are willing to learn, they have to obey. At times, you will stay at home and tell them what to do. Immediately, they see your car coming in, you will see them touching each other ‘Madam is coming’, ‘Madam is coming o’. That’s how they behave, then you start from morning and talk till night but we are doing it.
“I think I have done my best. My work is a dirty one according to what you people tell me. There are so many other things you can learn to keep yourself free from all forms of abuse. If there is no government job, make yourselves busy by learning some work. I was a salesgirl before but I discovered that the money I was being paid was nothing. What made me start thinking differently was the day I worked on someone’s laptop. After working on that laptop, the man just brought out N10,000 from his and gave it to me. That amount was my one-month salary and that made me discover that I was fooling myself by doing sales girl’s work. I then decided to do something on my own.
“The person I was working for as a sales girl was even owing me three months’ salary. When I told him to pay me, he said I should go and that the cashier will pay the money into my account. Till today, he hasn’t paid me that money. Today, I used to go and show him the achievements I have made. I bought this Lexus Jeep and went to show it to him. I bought the car with this my welding work and he was very happy.
“I live very comfortably. I also pay my sibling’s school fees and I don’t depend on anybody for a living. It’s a very big achievement for me. I bought my car with my hard-earned money. I desire to have a place of my own with this work and I know that it will not be long and it will come to pass.
