Isaac Moro, popularly known as Atimbila, a trotro (passenger bus) driver in the Ashanti Region, has shared a distressing account of how he lost his sight entirely a few weeks after a heated argument with a passenger who issued him a threat.
Speaking on Kumasi-based Sompa FM’s ‘Sompa Asem Mp3 nipa’ show, Atimbila recounted his ordeal and expressed a plea for forgiveness from the man he clashed with.
Originally from Bolgatanga but residing at New Suame, Kumasi, Atimbila revealed that he was desperately seeking the passenger’s pardon in the hope of recovering his vision.
Detailing the incident to the show’s host, he said, “In early July, I was working with my conductor, picking up passengers at Shell Station. As we weren’t following the regular station route, we were headed towards the Otumfuo roundabout. The elderly man who later became involved was the only passenger left to alight, heading for Kejetia.”
Atimbila recounted witnessing a dispute between the passenger and his conductor but remained quiet as the two exchanged words. He intervened when the conductor was repeatedly appealing to the man to exit the vehicle. “I intervened… and he retorted that we will see. I asked him about the meaning of his words, to which he replied that I had until the end of July to witness what would unfold. He mentioned that as he headed to Accra, I wouldn’t see him again.”
He dismissed the threat, saying, “I disregarded his words, as we often encountered conflicts with passengers.”
Describing the onset of his eye problem, Atimbila stated that he initially attributed his condition to a common eye ailment known as ‘apollo’. “By July 27th, one of my eyes was watery, resembling symptoms of apollo. The next morning, the condition worsened. Although I managed to go to work with my conductor because my other eye had clear vision, by 6 pm, the other eye was showing signs of trouble.”
He continued, “I consulted the station chairman, who also thought it was a case of apollo. The following day, I woke up and struggled to open my eyes. To my dismay, I had lost my vision completely, even though I knew it was morning.”
Atimbila attributed his deteriorating condition to the altercation, sharing that his wife had been tirelessly been supporting him since he lost his sight.
He reached out to the public, urging them to assist in locating the aggrieved man so that he could seek forgiveness and, in turn, possibly regain his sight.
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