Some automobile mechanics in parts of Kaduna have resorted to rendering home-services to their customers to make ends meet while the lockdown persists.
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The mechanics who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kaduna, said the option of taking their services to customers’ houses became necessary considering the glaring harsh economic reality and the need to please their customers.
Mr Shola Adeolu, an automobile mechanic whose workshop is located at Chalawa area, told NAN that due to the restriction of movement, he now operate a mobile workshop by visiting his customers’ residences with his working tools to render services.
“There’s hardly a day I don’t receive a call from at least two to three customers requesting that I come over to have their vehicles fixed in their houses.
“Although, the option has its limitations because not every working tool can be carried around but one must survive anyway,” he said.
Mallam Sadiku Mohammed, a mechanic resident at Nasarawa area on his part said the daily income he depended on to meet family needs were no longer forthcoming as such, the need to explore the home-service option.
“To say the truth, mechanics and other artisans do not find it funny since the commencement of the lockdown.
“Before now, I usually make at least N5,000 to N10,000 daily but the situation is now a complete opposite as I barely make N1,000 if I’m fortunate to have a customer call me to his house,” he lamented.
Also, Mr David Gambo who operates an automobile shop at Sabo told NAN that only minor repairs could be done at home-service, explaining that customers with major repairs had no option but sneak their vehicles to the workshop.
“Although mechanic workshops remained closed, other still violates the lockdown order to carry out major repairs that can’t be done at home.
“Infact, I have had to repair a police van few days ago following plead for me to open the workshop,” he revealed.
Mrs Jumoke Oyeniyi, a health worker resident in Barnawa told NAN that automobile mechanics should also, be considered as part of those rendering ‘essential duty’ because of the vital role they played.
“I had to request the service of mechanic to come to my house and have my car fixed before I could go to work the other day.
“You could see the joy on his face when I gave him the stipend when the job was finished,” she said.