Mr Waziri Oluwatomi, 30 year-old father of one, was not born blind, but lost his sight at the age of 27 years when his Uber car was caught in a traffic at the notorious Apogbon area, where two young guys accosted him and demanded to have his phones, money and other belongings.
Despite his willingness to part with his belongings, one of the armed robbers shot him through the car glass with his a locally made gun which shattered pellets into his eyes, face and brain. He lost his sight as a result and afterwards attempted suicide due to depression.
Later on, he accepted his fate and picked up the pieces of his life with the help of his family and wife and today, he is a certified Counselor, public speaker and also running his own foundation to assist persons with disabilities.
Waziri is blind illuminator, counselor, inspirational speaker, writer, ambassador of love and kindness and founder, Tomi Waziri Foundation.
In this interview with Waziri and his wife, conducted by Kunle Adelabu, Publisher/Reporter – in – Chief, THE IMPACT newspaper, in their home in Ikorodu, he bore his mind on his childhood dreams, his experience as a blind man, challenges being faced by persons with disabilities, his foundation and activities.
He also spoke about his challenges as a family man and appealed to the government to tackle insecurity and support persons with disabilities.
Mrs Waziri, who is pregnant with their second child, also shared her experience on marrying Mr Waziri. Excerpts:
THE IMPACT: Who Is Tom Waziri?
Tom Waziri: My full name actually is Waziri Oluwatomi Ami, but people call me Tom Waziri, I think that they prefer it that way because it is short. I am a blind person. Before I became blind, I was just like every other person trying to build something for himself. Just trying to leave a mark, be diligent and start something for myself as a business person after school. I have always been passionate about business. I wanted to be an employer of labour and didn’t want to wait on any
private organization. I was passionate about fixing gadgets. I also have values about growing up to be a responsible person in the society; to help people in any way that I can and to be there for people. Another plan was to be independent and also to be philanthropist and reach out to people through corporate social responsibilities. I always have this passion to reach; I like to always give. My friends know me to be this kind of person. I can give out my last. All these I that l am doing now were inspired by all those things that I was doing before I lost my sight.
Basically, I was a businessman and still one. I am also a public speaker as a result of what happened and how I got myself back up. I was just a neutral person that is always on my lane and living my life like every other person. I was an Uber driver. I was driving for someone to safe up some money to start my own business. I was actually working at the Computer village. I love to fix gadget and wanted to setup a repair shop. So, I decided to start driving to save up some money. I did my internship at Fix My PC, which is one of the big places to learn how to fix gadgets, mac books, iPhones and all that. Unfortunately, on September 12, 2019, I was driving around 8.30 pm; I picked up a rider from 1004 Estate. I got a request that she was going on the Mainland. Unfortunately for us, we used the Google map and it took us through Apongbon Bridge. We started the journey and got into traffic and before I know it, I saw two guys not more than 19 or 18 (years old). They were very young guys. They passed by my car and I noticed that they stopped behind the car and they later came back with a gun. I told the rider to just stay low. They pointed the gun and were threatening me that I should give them my phone and every other thing that I have with me. I was in shock and couldn’t respond. This happened within two to three minutes. Initially, I was panicking because I don’t even know what to do and late decided to reach out to my phone which was at the right side where I hid it. It all happened very fast. I picked up the phone and look towards the young man; unfortunately, he was the last person that I saw before I became blind. He shot me with a local improvised gun, luckily for me because, if it was a standard gun, it would
have been a single bullet and I probably wouldn’t be here sharing this story because it would have been a head shot. I am actually grateful for the privilege to be alive. I was shot in the face with pellet which shattered shattered the vehicle glass and hit me in the face. The pelles lacerated my eyeballs and I was bleeding everywhere. I still have pellets in my nose and others lodged in other parts of my face. The pellets pierced through my eyes and damaged my optic nerves. As I speak, I still have the pellets in my brain about 10 to 20 of them. I can’t remember now because most of the pellets that hit my eyes went into my brain. Luckily for me, it didn’t hit my spine because the doctor said if it had touched my spine that I would have been paralyse from neck downward. Imagine been blind and at same time paralyse from the neck downward.
I went through a lot of pains and was bleeding. I thought that I was going to die. I crawled out of the car and told the rider to go get another cab and she was opportuned to get that and told the police down the bridge about my situation. I was the one that told her to go and get help. In the society that we find ourselves, people are scared to help. There were cars passing by and none of them waited to assist. I could literarily hear cars passing by; hear their honking and I left my cars light in hazard. I was waving my hands and crying in Yoruba,’E jo eran mi lowo o’ (please help me), pidgin and English. Luckily for me , the two policemen that my rider and the driver that picked her told came. They located me through the hazard light that was one. They rescued me, thank God for those policemen. I was in traffic for about an hour and the policeman that were beside me ensured that I stayed alive. He asked me for my name and anytime he sees that I was passing out, he will call out my name. He really did a great job. I owe a lot to that policeman. He really did a great job.
When we got to the hospital, I was barely alive and could hear people lamenting at the Military Hospital, Yaba. My face was swollen and I had pains all over my body. I was cold and could tell that I have lost lots of bloods. The doctor was even surprised that I was still alive. They injected me with something which I don’t know what it was and later regained strength. My mum later came and was devastated and fell to the ground. She was screaming and crying. It was so dramatic. This happened in the prime of my life. I was 27 years old. I had big plans like I said before, to be a business man.
The next day, I was transferred to the Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, and that was where I got the shocking news of my life when the doctor came to check me and asked me if I was seeing any light but I kept saying that I can’t see anything. One of the doctors just came and told me that Tomi, l am afraid that you might not be able to see again. That was when depression started. I actually thought that they could do something; an operation or something like that.
I was also moved to the Eye Foundation at the Isaac John in Ikeja, where I was actually treated. At the LASUTH, they said that they are going to remove my eye balls but I couldn’t stand that. As God would have it, somebody made a call. My mum’s friend in United Kingdom knows somebody that works there (Eye Foundation) and that was how they moved me to the Eye Foundation where they performed the operation to close up my eyes with stiches. I was depressed at this period of my life. However, people found my story so inspiring because I wasn’t depressed for long. Within two weeks, I started picking myself up and started making people laugh in the hospital and cheering them up. Why, because that is the worst that could have
happened. I am still alive. It was hard. I cried for several days during this period. I attempted suicide in the hospital. I remember telling the doctor to inject me. Thank God that I didn’t tell my mum until later (laughter).I can laugh about this now. It’s past now. I remember telling one of the doctors to inject me and let me just die. This was how suicidal I was. I felt that I shouldn’t be alive anymore. This was before I started to summon courage and encouraged myself.
THE IMPACT: What about those guys that shot you, were they caught and tried?
Tom Waziri: I didn’t hear anything about them till today. I don’t know if any investigation was processed. I remember when one of the policemen said that those boys have been operating in that area for quite sometime and that they are cultists. In fact, till today, I still hear that they are still robbing at the spot, and on that note, I am to plead with the government to do something about the state of insecurity. Not just that place, we get news every day that people are being robbed in the traffic. I am always happy anytime I read the news and heard that traffic robbers have been caught, because I don’t want anybody to experience what I went through. So, to my knowledge, they have not been caught.
IMPACT: How did you eventually get over the incident and moved on?
Tom Waziri: I must say that I am a Christian and a proud one too. First of all, I started by looking at my life; how far that I have come from a single parent and I told myself that if I continue like this, I will eventually commit suicide. I realized that. My mum and siblings tried to encourage me and I knew that if I continue with my state of depression, it would deteriorate over time and everything would go south and l may just do something crazy. My family encouraged me and also my wife who was my girlfriend then. She was also very supportive. She stood by me and even when I told her to move on (laughter) since I am blind and can’t do anything again, she said no and that she was going to stand by me and today, we are married with a son. It’s been God. I also supported myself because people can take a horse to the river, but they can’t force the horse to drink. It all boils down to the person that is depressed. But they (family and wife) influenced that change.
Mrs Waziri: I will just say it’s God. I love him and apart from that, I will say that it has been God, because even when you love a man, you would still have these double feelings – should I go or I should just stay with this person. But with God who has given the assurance, you can go ahead. I will not leave him and will always be by him .It has been wonderful, though, there are some little challenges. Even for a lady that marries somebody who is not impaired, there is always challenges in marriage. There are little challenges here and there, but with God, our marriage has been a real blessing and amazing.
Tom Waziri (cut-in): I remember her telling me that she had a dream folding Aso Ebi for our wedding with my mum, that is why she is saying it is God. Truly, it’s God, apart from the fact that it’s is love (laughter).
IMPACT: How have you been coping?
Tom Waziri: Like my wife said, it’s been God all along. When the incident happened, support came and my wife has a shop and business she is doing. For me, I just try to reach out to people through my organsiation. Basically, the inspiration came when people started telling me that I am an inspiration to a lot of people.
They started encouraging me that I needed to be a Counselor. As God will have it, I was on the radio at a point, somebody got my number and was asking me what I wanted to be and I was privileged to meet the woman who paid N400, 000 for my admission into the Institute of Counseling at Ikorodu where I was certified as a Mental Health Counselor. It was a new drive for me. I got certified as a Counselor and started counseling people, but job doesn’t come all the time. People call me for counseling. So, l have been managing with family with that and also with my foundation. Sometimes, people reach out to me after seeing what I am doing by giving something to the foundation and also to me.
THE IMPACT: What is the foundation all about?
Tom Waziri: The foundation, Tom Waziri Foundation, is a registered one, although, our activities have been hampered because of lack of funds due to the situation in the country We also have difficulties in reaching out to international organisations. The foundation is all about reaching out to persons with disability by assisting them. What actually inspired it was that somebody heard my story on the radio and called me and encouraged me and all of a sudden, he asked me if I can support or help him. I was even surprised that he doesn’t even have food on his table to feed his family. At that point, I felt so bad because I didn’t have anything with me, but I wished I could have been of help to him. I got teary after the conversation because, I understood how it is to be in a country like Nigeria and more so, to be a person with disability.
The inspiration came and I decided to set up a foundation to reach out to persons with disabilities. I launched my foundation on April 24, which was my birthday, two years ago. With that, I have been able to reach out to persons with disabilities. Also, for children here in Ikorodu, we got them tailor frames to learn mathematics. They are about ten children. We also got food stuffs from some Nigerians who are coming through to support. After that, we have also been able to do one or two things in reaching out to people with disabilities which I am very passionate about. We plan to do more, but we have issues with funds and when we reach out to people, they really don’t trust. It’s very hard to get funds to do more, but we are still pushing. I will keep pushing and not giving up. My wife has also been supportive, though, her business is not really moving as it should. I would say that it’s God all the way. Where I am staying was furnished by an average Nigerian that l met on the social media. It was even because of my wife that she heard about it back then when we were staying in my family house in Oshodi. She said that she was not going to leave me with my condition and that we should get married. We just did something small. We registered at the registry and started (our family life) at my family house and she didn’t mind because she wanted to be there for me and as God will have it, people sent their supports.
I am also a YouTuber which I started as well and I am looking for ways that I can get funding, support and advertisement. I am growing it. I am also a relationship coach and I am really passionate about that too. Another reason my wife likes me is that I am that kind of man that is always faithful and doesn’t womanise. I started a YouTube channel on relationship, although, I have started earning money, but l hope to be making money from it very soon. I am trying to see how I can gain more followers and subscribers. People that consult me for mental health don’t come much because in Nigeria, mental health is stigmatized. They feel that there is no need to see a counselor or psychotherapist since that they are not mad. It is because of the stigma that we don’t get more clients in this part of the world unlike some other countries. I am also into public speaking. I speak to young people. I was at an event recently (last week) to speak to young people at Adams Tutorial College, where students were educated before writing JAMB. I was also an alumnus of the college. I speak to inspire people. I am also a story – teller. I inspire people with my story. I don’t even get paid for these things; I am just passionate about helping people and re – igniting hope in the world.
THE IMPACT: What would you be telling the government in term of caring for persons with disabilities?
Tom Waziri: Well, thank God that we are even in the election season. I would say that any government that is going to come at the local, state and at the federal levels, should have social packages for persons with disabilities like we have in other countries. These social packages are gotten from taxes paid to the government and given to people with disabilities and others in needs. That is one thing that is lacking in this country. We need support that would encourage us to just keep going.
Secondly, we don’t like to be sidelined; we have persons with disabilities who can do jobs. In this part of the world, people are always skeptical about you if you go for a job. I have heard several stories from blind people like me, many of whom have been way blind before my own case. We have people that can do any job, but because they are blind, people are always skeptical and at the end, we won’t get the job. We want government to assist us in ensuring that we are given considerations as along as the applicant can do the job, why not give him the job? It shouldn’t be that people with disabilities are treated as the worst or secondary citizens. We should be treated as primary citizenry; with preference like it is done in banks. I am pleading with the current President, though, I know that there is a lot going on, but whoever that is coming as the President, I am pleading that he should make persons with disabilities one of his priorities. They should see to how they can make welfare/social packages available to us. There are NGOs that can work with the government. Giving us N50, 000 or N100, 000 monthly is not much, because how many of us are in the country. It is not easy to be a person with disabilities, especially in Nigeria. Food stuffs are very expensive because my wife complains all the time.
THE IMPACT: What are your messages to Persons With Disabilities and other Nigerians?
Tom Waziri: My message to persons with disabilities is that they should not lose up. You guys are inspiring. In fact, it is when I became blind that I knew what it meant to be a person with disability and I must say that they are the most inspiring people in the world. I want to encourage every person with disabilities not to give up; they should keep doing what they are doing and should not wait on the people to help them because you are disable, we can also do something for ourselves. Find something doing for yourself, my wife saw something in me and that is why she married me. My encouragement to persons with disabilities is that they should not give up.
To all Nigerians, I am begging you; we didn’t pray to be person with disabilities, so, anywhere that you see a person with disability, please, treat us with respect and dignity, not all of us want to be begging; we know that there are some standing on the streets or on wheel chairs, but not everybody want to beg. Also, don’t just pity us, but encourage us and treat us with respect like every other citizen. Don’t say because this person is blind, you will sideline them. Respect us, we don’t want to be treated like second citizens; like less human, we want to be treated like every other human being. If you have anyone that you could help, please, help and support him or her. It would go a long way.
Mr Waziri can be reached and follow on his social media handles: Twitter: @tom_waziri, Instagram: @tomi_waziri, Facebook: Tomi Waziri.
