Does the driver’s mate have any value?

His Excellency Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has apparently inadvertently insulted drivers’ mates and denigrated, downgraded or degraded the High office of the Vice Presidency by likening himself, his Office and the duties of that office to that of a driver’s mate, erroneously classifying the role of a driver’s mate as negligible or inconsequential to the driver’s output. Perhaps, Dr Bawumiah has misinterpreted the word “mate” in the designation “Running Mate” to mean “a driver’s mate” and, thus, still considers himself a running mate. Otherwise, the comparison of himself and his office to that of a driver’s mate can only suggest that Dr Bawumia perceives the driver’s mate’s job as a dirty one, implying that as Vice President, he has been doing the dirty work for the President.

Indeed, by the nature of the occupation and its hazards, the driver’s mate’s job may be considered a dirty one, as he hardly dresses decently and often exhibits conduct tantamount to disrespect towards passengers.

Even in this humble domain, with all the baggage of a seemingly unpleasant appearance and/or attitude, it must be noted, the driver’s mate is accorded some respect and honour by many a passenger with the salutation “Bro Mate”.

Again, notwithstanding the seemingly low status of the driver’s mate, his role in that sphere of labour is critical for the success of the trade in terms of income earned for his own livelihood, that of the driver and the vehicle owner, if the driver is not himself the vehicle owner, as well as tax revenue for the state.

It remains a fact that, no matter how critical or important his role, the driver’s position remains unchallenged as “Master” of the vehicle.

It is agreed that the President is the “Master” if Dr Bawumia claims to be a driver’s mate. However, by comparing himself to a driver’s mate on the premise that he can execute his brilliant economic and social policy ideas and be able to make any meaningful impact on national development efforts if and only if he graduates into the driver’s seat and controls the steering wheel, that is if he is voted into office as President, Dr Bawumia does not only devalue the importance of the driver’s mate but also undermines his own role as Vice President and belittles his office, duties and the honour attached to that office, particularly when he had earned that position and High Office by virtue of his acclaimed credentials as an economist par excellence.

Even assuming, without admitting, that the driver-mate relationship rhymes perfectly with the President-Vice President alignment, it is obvious that by this distasteful comparison, Dr Bawumia has displayed ignorance of, or is not conversant with, how the driver and his mate work.

Dr Bawumia got it wrong. His understanding of the role of the driver’s mate is grossly limited or deficient.

In point of fact, the driver can hardly succeed without the able assistance of his mate and vice versa. Besides, driver’s mates do not necessarily transform into drivers. This means that a person can become a driver without the working experience of a driver’s mate. Moreover, the mere acquisition of experience as a driver’s mate does not qualify or certify a person to become a driver.

It is important to note that so long as the driver’s mate remains unschooled or unskilled and/or is unlicensed as a driver, or even if he is licensed, but does not have a vehicle of his own, the mate continues to serve as a junior partner in the road transportation enterprise. To worsen his case, Dr Bawumia has not shown evidence of having acquired a driving license.

Without doubt, many driver’s mates are good managers in the driver-mate business operational dynamics and are, virtually, in control of the vehicle.

Let us, then, examine the working relationship between a driver and his mate in the light of the position assumed by Dr Bawumia that as a mere driver’s mate, he is incapacitated in making any major contributions to the efforts of his driver for the success of the enterprise of conveying passengers for a fee and that he can only accomplish that task if he, himself, becomes the driver.

In many instances, it is the mate who determines the route to ply when business begins for the day, particularly if the vehicle is not registered with any driver's union.

The driver consults his mate and almost invariably, it is the mate’s advice that prevails.

It is the mate who handles the passengers by way of sitting arrangements, where to alight and enquiries about fares. For example, when there is a controversy (and there are always controversies) over fares, and, especially, when new lorry fare increases are announced, it is the mate whose word is final and it is the mate who decides whether or not to remove, though unjustifiably, a non-conforming passenger from the vehicle. In such instances, the mate will order the driver to stop in order to forcibly eject a stubborn passenger from the vehicle, and the driver does not hesitate to comply.

Many a time, the driver’s instructions to the mate to temper justice with mercy, in situations of disagreements over fares, are ignored.

If the mate does not signal the driver to move, for example, by banging the vehicle or with the words: “Away”, “Yenkor ” or “Yen nanti”, the driver does not move the vehicle and it is the mate who directs the driver to stop at designated locations or stops during or along the journey. A mate, with the connivance of his driver, can detain a vehicle, as the passengers grumble, until the vehicle is full. It is the driver’s mate who solicits for passengers, especially between peak periods or along the journey, when the vehicle is not full. Sometimes, both the driver and his mate would complement each other’s efforts in looking for passengers by announcing or shouting out the destination(s) the vehicle is heading towards, and quite often, the driver will forcefully instruct his mate with words like “Ye Wild” or “Shadow”, meaning that the mate should be more aggressive or put in extra efforts in finding passengers.

At all times, excellent co-operation and collaboration exists between the driver and his mate in ensuring that passengers receive their change, with the mate frequently asking the driver to help him or he will look for the change from coins sellers at the various bus stops.

It is the mate who keeps the sales and makes as much money as he cam by usually foul means. More often than not, the mate makes his money by cheating passengers of their change through a deliberate strategy of delaying to give them their change, thereby, making them forget the change, or will inflate the fare if he realises that the passenger is not aware of the approved fare for the distance being covered.

There are times the mate even disappears with part or a whole day’s sales, leaving the driver and passengers, who are yet to collect their change, stranded; and there are also times when the mates temporarily takes over as a driver and that is if the mate knows how to drive.

Many a time, a driver operates without a mate, for example, when the mate does not report on time or completely fails to turn up for work, and these are very difficult moments for the driver as he will have to be on and off the steering wheel to open and close the door for passengers to alight or join the vehicle, while the collection of the fares from passengers becomes problematic , in which situation a passenger will volunteer to collect the fare on behalf of the driver, minus the volunteer’s fare.

Even on vehicles where mates, stricto senso, are not required, other service providers are at work to assist the driver. For example, in the case of the Inter-City, Ayalolo, and State Transport Company buses, as well as the defunct Omnibus Services operations, or station vehicles which operate without mates and whose drivers collect their fares before departure, passengers are issued with tickets either by conductors or at designated ticketing desks while loading services are rendered by other station operatives popularly known as bookers. In other words, no driver can work without any form of assistance. Thus, even if Dr Bawumia is offered the driver’s position, he will, himself, require the services of an efficient mate or conductor and/or other service providers to function effectively and efficiently.

In light of the foregoing, it is obvious that a driver’s mate or a bus conductor is an asset or key player in the road transport business equation and, therefore, Dr Bawumia’s role as Vice President was and is still as relevant and critical to the success of the President and government business. His Excellency Alhaji Dr Bawumia couldn’t have been redundant as a Vice President! Indeed, the title “His Excellency” is one of high honour with enormous responsibility which should, under no circumstance, be subjected to such ridicule of a comparison to a driver’s mate, who is portrayed in one vein as a representation of indiscipline, dishonesty and unpleasant appearance and conduct, regardless of his valuable contributions which Dr Bawumia unwittingly, however, underrates.

The writer is a Journalist and a Lawyer.