Everyday People: Sad account of how man was locked up for fighting brother who stole his car tyres

A vulcaniser, Osei, residing in East Legon, Accra, found himself locked up in police custody after a confrontation with his younger brother over stolen car tyres.

Osei shared his distressing experience with Abigail Johnson Boakye on the latest episode of Everyday People on GhanaWeb TV.

Osei, who initially aspired to become a contractor, faced challenges realising his childhood dreams.

Undeterred by the lack of formal education, he ventured into masonry, a profession he pursued for four years, alongside learning how to draw building plans.

Concerned about potential uncertainties, he decided to diversify his skills by taking up vulcanising as an alternative trade.

“The vulcanising work is something I learnt as part of my work when I travelled to Accra. I actually studied masonry and I did that for 4 years as well as how to draw building plans. During those times, I wasn’t married; I was young so I thought that life might be difficult someday so I have to learn a different trade that would help me so that when one was not working, the other would. That’s how I decided to learn vulcanising so that when I give birth I won’t suffer with my children.”

He continued: “Truthfully, the masonry work isn’t working anymore and now I’m here at East Legon. My big brother secured the place for me but he didn’t take care of it so it collapsed and I went to get a new station about ten years ago. This whole place was filled with water so I helped them to fill the place up with sand and now I have this place to myself."

During a confrontation, Osei unintentionally insulted his brother, leading the station master to threaten him with arrest for insulting his sibling. Despite clarifying that his remarks were directed at his brother and not the station master, Osei found himself locked up in police custody.

“You see those tyres there, initially, they were here. I was working with my younger brother because the masonry work wasn’t working so we were just on this vulcanising work but he was not being truthful to me. He sells my tires and spends the money so it created a little misunderstanding between us.

“So one day while speaking to him, it happened that I insulted him and the station master here told me he was going to lock me up for insulting my brother at Crystal Police station and I told him I wasn’t referring to him but my brother so why is he going to lock me up? By the time I realised, I was locked up in police custody,” he narrated.

Watch Osei's narration to Abigail Johnson here: