Al-Amin Shettima Bello, a man who served Borno State government for 35 years as a teacher and retired meritoriously is now hawking on the streets of Maiduguri, the state capital.
Bello told journalists in English that he was taught by the British.
According to him, in his school back then, there were only a few black teachers whom he identified as the late Dr. Shettima Ali Monguno, Shettima Kashim and the late Shettima Mustapha Kutai (father of the current Senator representing Borno Central in the National Assembly, Kashim Shettima), Daily Post reports.
Sharing his story with journalists by the roadside, Bello said Professor Bosoms Sheriff of the University of Maiduguri was his school mate.
“Professor Bosoms was ahead of me with one year because he completed his primary education in 1966 while I completed in 1967. He is older than me in class, not by age,” Bello said.
He continued, “I started schooling in Yerwa Central and completed in 1955 where I proceeded to Trade Business and trained as a carpenter. I worked as a carpenter for several years before my parents decided that I go back to school again. I went to Old Bama Primary School and completed in 1967 where I proceeded to Borno Teachers College.”
Bello, who is usually around the First Bank ATM centre at Maiduguri Monday Market, said the area was strategic as it would afford him the opportunity to market his goods – mentholated Robb – to people who had just withdrawn cash.
“Teaching is an exciting job but there is no money in it. It is a sacrifice. Now that I have retired, I can only help myself with the little from this business rather than being a dependent on people,” he said.
The economy has gone worse under the government of President Muhammadu Buhari with inflation rising at an alarming rate.
A report by The Economist in May 2021 said, “Inflation is running at 18%. For food it is 23%, the highest in two decades. More than half of Nigerians are underemployed or unemployed. Before covid-19 about 80m of Nigeria’s 200m people lived on less than the equivalent of $1.90 a day. The pandemic and population growth could see that figure rise to almost 100m by 2023, says the World Bank.”
