Murtala Shuaibu who is a Blind mechanic said he trained his ears, and hands to detect car faults, perhaps there are only a few people in the world today who can steadfastly adhere to their objectives and convictions despite the obscuring effects of their disabilities.
The visually impaired mechanic has been working on automobiles for more than 30 years, and he is a native of Agbede in the Estako West Local Government Area of Edo State.
Shuaibu is well-known as “The blind mechanic” among many residents of Tugamaji, a neighborhood on the Gwagwalada Expressway in Abuja, where his auto shop is situated. ’.
However, a Tik Tok user who claimed to be one of his clients recently created a brief video about him, which caused his popularity on social media to skyrocket.
The 55-year-old blind mechanic briefly explains in the popular video, which has already received over 80,000 views, how he accurately diagnoses and fixes a variety of vehicles.
The father of two, a resident of Kano State, claimed to have gone blind in 1996 while operating a vehicle in an interview with Saturday PUNCH.
Shuaibu explained that the support he received from those around him strengthened his resolve to carry on working as a mechanic with a hint of confidence in his voice.
I’m a mechanic who is blind, he declared. I am 55 years old and the mother of a boy and a girl. I began studying this material in 1988, but I lost my sight in 1996.
“Before that, I was physically ill and sought medical attention, some of which I believe had adverse effects on my vision. I began to experience double vision in both eyes. I initially believed it would go away, but instead, it worsened.
“One day, as I was driving, I suddenly lost my vision and was unable to see with both of my eyes. It felt strange to suddenly be in the dark, but I decided to keep working as a mechanic because it was the only way I knew to make a living.
“At first, I was living in regret, but those around me urged me to move on with my work and not let my disability get in the way. There were also those who had faith in me”.
“That is what gave me the motivation to keep working. Prior to getting married, I lost my vision, but I made the decision that this shouldn’t stop me from achieving my goals.”
Trained hands and ears.
Shuaibu started gradually adjusting to the effective use of his senses of hearing and touch to repair cars after losing his sight, which is essential for his job.
He recalled, “At first, it was very difficult to fix cars as a visually impaired person. Without my eyesight, I believed it would be impossible for me to repair cars, spot their broken parts, and assess their issues. Actually, I was so discouraged that I was close to giving up, but my tenacity and bravery kept me going.
Since I had no other employment options, I chose to focus on adjusting to my new circumstances rather than becoming a beggar. I, therefore, started to train my hands, nose, and ears to compensate for my loss of vision. To be able to tell when there is a problem, I trained my hands to work with car parts and tuned my ears to the sound of engines. Because of this, if I hold a spanner in my hands, I can gauge its size and determine where I should apply it using my hands.
“I also rely on my nose to determine whether the cars I work on have a problem. After some time, I developed the ability to diagnose car problems with my ears, and my hands grew accustomed to changing car parts on their own.
“Now that I’ve heard your car’s noise, I can tell you what the issue is, whether it stems from the amber, a leak in the stabilizer, or the need for maintenance and repair on the nozzle. I service cars made by Toyota, Honda, and other manufacturers. ”.
Shuaibu slowly started to master the abilities needed to fix cars from his early beginnings as an apprentice to a local mechanic.
His customers soon complimented him and expressed their awe at how quickly and easily he identified car problems. As a result, they started referring him to friends and coworkers.
Shuaibu explained to our correspondent how he operates on a typical day and said that honing his sensory abilities required perseverance and regular practice.
“When you bring your car to me, I’ll ask you to start it so I can carefully listen to it. If you carefully listen, you will hear some strange sounds that come from a car’s engine when you rev it and there is a problem. It is understood by mechanics.
Sometimes I’ll request that the patronizing person open the bonnet while I use my hands to interpret or double-check anything I think might be off. I can demonstrate the issue or point out the necessary purchases. It’s okay if you decide to purchase the component on your own. I can send someone to assist me in purchasing and fixing it for you.
“However, to be completely honest, there are times when it is unbelievable how I work on cars and how quickly I can spot issues that the owners miss.”
Challenges encountered
Despite his commitment to overcoming the limitations of his vision impairment, Shuaibu still faces some difficulties.
Some people find it challenging to trust me with their cars because I’m blind, he said. They are puzzled as to how, since I am physically blinder than they are, I can diagnose the issues with their vehicles.
“It took a lot of time and effort when I first started out to persuade my clients of my abilities. When I tell them their vehicle doesn’t meet the requirements, some also try to underpay me or argue with me. Fortunately, I am well-known in my workshop community and can identify my clients by their voices.
Occasionally, some onlookers stop by to observe me at work. Others bring their vehicles to me for repairs, and after seeing the results, they are amazed and tell their friends and coworkers about me. ”.
Since Kano is 423 kilometers away from his workshop, Shuaibu, a visually impaired mechanic, still needs assistance from others to get around the city and get to his family there.
“My family and friends help me, and they support me. My family and I reside in Kano even though I work here in Abuja. In order to get home safely when it gets dark after 7 o’clock, I occasionally have to close the shop. For people like me, the world can be dangerous because it’s impossible to tell who is who.
“I usually travel in my friend’s company when I want to visit my family,” says the person. Though there are a number of situations that call for me to depend on the goodwill of others to cross gutters, board buses, or ensure my safety in public.
“I work for a friend of mine named Muhammad Ibrahim here in Abuja. He is the owner of this shop. I’ll only be in Abuja for a few months, maybe three or four, before heading back to Kano State”.
“Ibrahim occasionally works on customers’ cars where I physically couldn’t go due to my condition. Every time I visit Abuja, I stay with a friend, and I also have a younger brother who lives here.”
He added that the two biggest challenges he faced were finding accommodations and arranging transportation, especially for people who are blind or visually impaired.
“One of the biggest problems I face here is lodging. Mobility is another, particularly for the blind. Some of my clients have come to trust me because they live far away and need my help after their cars completely broke down.
My physical condition restricts my ability to practice my profession, so I’m hoping to acquire a mode of transportation so that I can go meet my clients when their cars break down rather than waiting for them. As part of my plan to work independently in a setting that can accommodate my physical challenge, I also intend to open my own shop. ”.
The blind mechanic ended by exhorting young people, especially those with physical disabilities, to never lose sight of their abilities and to never let discouragement get the better of them.
“Youths should have job skills even with education,” he said. People with disabilities are gifted in their own special ways as well, and they must resist the temptation to give up.
“Young people should always be confident in themselves and recognize their potential. I would have left this line of work if I had been surrounded by those who were demoralizing when I went blind.”
