Olamide Toheeb Suleiman
A supervisor with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, Olamide Suleiman, recently made a video on the plight of Lagos street sweepers, who were not paid salaries for two months. He tells SAMSON FOLARIN how his life came under threat after the video went viral
Can you share with us a little about your background?
I am Olamide Toheeb Suleiman, a LAWMA supervisor. I was born in Lagos and I am 26 years old. I did not complete my secondary school because of some personal challenges, which also affected the relationship between my mum and dad. About 18 years ago, when I was in secondary school, I was writing when something came on me and I walked out of school. I was away from home for about four to five months. My mum and dad looked for me and they could not find me. The police found me, took me to court and then social welfare. I was later released.
In 2007, while at Ikotun, I found myself naked. That was how I continued battling this mental problem. Someone once took a video of me naked and posted it on the social media, saying I was a Yahoo-Yahoo boy. That video is still online as we speak. My parents took me to herbalists, hospitals and psychiatric homes for help, all to no avail. My parents also fought and got separated because of me.
That was how I started following politicians around. I joined the campaign team of former Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode. When he won the election, he bought a tricycle for me. Because of my mental problem, I was involved in several accidents and the tricycle was wrecked. I later went to meet him and begged for a job with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority. He referred me to the Ministry of Transportation and I was employed as a cleaner, because I had no qualification. However, my mental problem occasionally surfaced and people started gossiping about me. The government said I should go home and treat myself and they would be paying my salaries. I was grateful.
When Ambode was denied a return ticket, I joined the Babajide Sanwo-Olu campaign team. That was when I met a woman, Wuraola Williams, aka Iron Lady, who was in charge of the Sanwo-Olu Babes (a campaign group). Late last year, I went to meet her after I learnt that she was a contractor with LAWMA. I told her to assist me with a job. That was how I became a LAWMA supervisor in December 2019
Olamide Toheeb Suleiman
A supervisor with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, Olamide Suleiman, recently made a video on the plight of Lagos street sweepers, who were not paid salaries for two months. He tells SAMSON FOLARIN how his life came under threat after the video went viral
Can you share with us a little about your background?
I am Olamide Toheeb Suleiman, a LAWMA supervisor. I was born in Lagos and I am 26 years old. I did not complete my secondary school because of some personal challenges, which also affected the relationship between my mum and dad. About 18 years ago, when I was in secondary school, I was writing when something came on me and I walked out of school. I was away from home for about four to five months. My mum and dad looked for me and they could not find me. The police found me, took me to court and then social welfare. I was later released.
In 2007, while at Ikotun, I found myself naked. That was how I continued battling this mental problem. Someone once took a video of me naked and posted it on the social media, saying I was a Yahoo-Yahoo boy. That video is still online as we speak. My parents took me to herbalists, hospitals and psychiatric homes for help, all to no avail. My parents also fought and got separated because of me.
That was how I started following politicians around. I joined the campaign team of former Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode. When he won the election, he bought a tricycle for me. Because of my mental problem, I was involved in several accidents and the tricycle was wrecked. I later went to meet him and begged for a job with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority. He referred me to the Ministry of Transportation and I was employed as a cleaner, because I had no qualification. However, my mental problem occasionally surfaced and people started gossiping about me. The government said I should go home and treat myself and they would be paying my salaries. I was grateful.
When Ambode was denied a return ticket, I joined the Babajide Sanwo-Olu campaign team. That was when I met a woman, Wuraola Williams, aka Iron Lady, who was in charge of the Sanwo-Olu Babes (a campaign group). Late last year, I went to meet her after I learnt that she was a contractor with LAWMA. I told her to assist me with a job. That was how I became a LAWMA supervisor in December 2019
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