A 2007 Accountancy graduate of the Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri Imo State, Innocent Uzodimma is at present eking out a living by engaging in the menial job of conveying groceries for people using a wheel barrow in markets in Owerri, Imo State.
Uzodimma, a native of Obazu Mbieri Community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state has been engaged in the wheelbarrow business for years.
He took to doing the menial job after he lost his job at the defunct Afribank where he had worked upon graduation and completion of the mandatory one year national service to his fatherland.
At the markets in Owerri and on the streets, Uzodimma could be seen pushing wheelbarrow with which he conveys goods owned by his clients.
The job doesn’t fetch him much, he says. To compound his situation, Uzodimma obtained the wheel barrow by hire purchase.
So, he is faced with the task of paying off the owner of the wheelbarrow and picking his bills.
Uzodimma is also married with four children and they reside in the slum area of Owerri. In other words, he has the added task of catering for a family of six comprising himself, wife and four children.
Favour seems to have located him recently when he conveyed goods belonging to journalist and humanist, Chidiebube Okeoma.
Okeoma has been spearheading a crusade to take Uzodimma off the streets since encountering him.
In videos posted on his facebook handle, Okeoma related moves he had made to achieve the objective of empowering the accountant.
First, he mobilized funds to buy him a brand wheelbarrow in order to end the challenge of having to pay for the one he collected on hire purchase basis.
Okeoma also disclosed that he has been able to open an account for the accountant where public-spirited individuals wishing to assist him could transfer or deposit money for him.
He further revealed that he had been able to raise N70,000 which however is a far cry to the amount of money needed to take Uzodimma completely off the streets by opening a business for him.
Okeoma is therefore appealing to industry titans who could offer the father of four gainful employment to do so.
“The idea is to take Mr. Innocent Uzodimma off the streets. Whoever could help should do so. If we raise enough money, we could open a business for him. Those who could also offer him a good job should also do so. We want to take this graduate off the streets’, Okeoma pleaded.
