How I Was Slapped By A Naval Officer In US – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
The life of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu prior to his success in politics has been revealed.
He disclosed that he had previously worked as a cab driver in the United States and had even received a smack from a navy officer for mistakenly charging him more than necessary.
In a biography titled “Tinubu: My life as a gypsy cab driver in the US,” written by seasoned journalist Mike Awoyinfa and carried on the back page of a major newspaper, the President’s experiences were made public.
According to the tale, Tinubu picked up customers at the airport and drove them to their destinations while working as an unregistered taxi driver in Chicago.
The President revealed that he took up this driving job as a means of financial support before he started school.
He narrated, “We got an unregistered used car commonly called Gypsy, which we ran as a taxi. We operated at the airport where we picked passengers, and not anywhere else, like the hotel because it was forbidden for unlicensed cab drivers to do so.
“We did that for a while to raise some money. Bolaji went to Tennessee, while I headed for Chicago.
“I was supposed to have started schooling in April. I deferred it till September in order to have more money. Immediately I got to Chicago, I went straight to Richard Daley College. It was very interesting.
“I was able to pay for my apartment and tuition fees at Chicago State University. I supplemented that by doing different menial jobs like door guard and security man.”
Speaking further about the incident, he said the naval officer he carried responded with a slap on his face because overcharged him, as his destination was a nearby.
“As a cab driver, one experience I will never forget was when I over-charged a naval officer who was returning to the country. It was not intentional,” Tinubu said.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
“Apparently, I didn’t know the direction. There was no GPRS in those days to locate directions. So, he gave me the direction to his house in a Virginia suburb.
“I gave him the price and the man responded with a slap to my face. He said I should know the correct price to charge to the location he mentioned. He slapped me and gave me the money.”