Man laments as his master loaned him tricycle after 15 years apprenticeship

An Anambra man has cried out and expressed dissatisfaction after his master settled him, a loaned tricycle after serving him for 15 years.

A 35-year-old apprentice, identified as Sunday Ndenta, has expressed dissatisfaction after his master who operates pharmaceutical stores loaned him a tricycle for his 15 years labour.

Ndenta made the revelation on the sideline of a youth forum, tagged, ‘Igba Boi Apprenticeship Scheme,’ in Awka, Anambra State which is made to seek the revival of the apprenticeship system in the South-East.

According to Ndenta, an indigene of Igbo-Ukwu in the Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, his master handed him a tricycle after his apprenticeship with him who operated pharmaceutical stores at the Onitsha Bridge Head Market.

According to him, his master gave him the tricycle under a ‘hire purchase’ agreement.

The agreement was based on giving his master daily returns until the amount he bought the tricycle is covered.

Ndenta narrated, “My master took me from my parents for an apprenticeship at the age of 18 after I couldn’t continue my education. I first stayed with his mother in his hometown at Umunze, looking after the sick woman until she passed on after four years of my stay there.

“My master then brought me to his shop at Onitsha where he sells pharmaceutical drugs, to continue my apprenticeship training and I served him for another 11 years without any blemish.

But to my greatest surprise, the period I was to be settled, he called some of my family members and presented a tricycle to me as my settlement package.

“The real issue is that he went on to say that the keke would be operated under a hire purchase agreement; that I would be giving him daily returns and the keke would become my own after I completed the money he used in buying it.

He stated that he had been riding the tricycle for over three months, which would mark the third phase of his apprenticeship with his master.

“This will be the third phase of my apprenticeship with him after I had put in over 15 years, first serving his mother, then at the shop and now this one.

“I have been riding keke for over three months now and remitting returns to my boss. This kind of treatment is the reason today’s youths have stopped going into apprenticeship under anyone. Rather, they prefer to be riding keke or motorcycle.”

Ndenta, who broke down in tears, did not reveal how much returns he makes to his boss daily or how much he had remitted so far.

The spokesperson for the Onitsha Bridge Head Market, identified as Tochukwu, said the market leadership was “investigating and treating” many complaints relating to such ill manner of treatment.

“Some months ago, youths protested at the Electrical Market in Oba over a similar issue. This is becoming too rampant; something has to be done. Apprentices and masters will have to be signing documented agreements to avoid this kind of situation,” he added.