A Nigerian man recently took to social media to expose a filling station located in Maitama, Abuja, over its reported payment of an extremely low monthly salary of ₦10,000 to fuel attendants, despite the workers’ repeated protests demanding an increase.
The disclosure was made in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) by user @kokomatic, who confirmed the authenticity of the incident as multiple fuel attendants at the station came forward to corroborate the story.
According to the post, the encounter happened when @kokomatic stopped by the AP Filling Station, situated opposite the Transcorp Hilton, to refuel his vehicle. On arrival, he noticed an unusual and somber atmosphere among the attendants, prompting him to inquire about the cause.
In his own words:
“This morning, I stopped by AP Filling Station in Maitama, opposite Transcorp, to fuel my car. To my surprise, I noticed the fuel attendants murmuring, so I decided to engage one of them since there weren’t many cars around. I asked what was going on, and the lady told me they had just protested to the management for a salary increase, but their request was rejected.”
He continued:
“I gently asked how much they earn monthly, and to my shock, she said they’re paid ₦10,000 per month. I asked if she meant ₦100,000, but she insisted it was ₦10,000. She even called one of her colleagues, and when I asked her, she confirmed it.”
The post also revealed @kokomatic’s frustration and concern over the treatment of the workers and the lack of intervention from labour organizations:
“Where is the Nigerian Labour Congress when you need them? This is exactly the kind of issue people like @YeleSowore and @adeyanjudeji should be fighting for, instead of focusing solely on the presidency. Nigerians aren’t even fair to each other.”
He further questioned the sustainability of such low wages for the workers’ daily lives:
“How do they expect these workers to transport themselves, feed their families, and not be tempted to steal from customers? A big station like Androva Petroleum shouldn’t be paying staff such a disgracefully low salary.”
In closing, @kokomatic urged prompt action on behalf of the fuel attendants:
“I hope they act fast. I feel genuinely sad for them and pray they get justice as soon as possible.”
In a subsequent post, he disclosed that the attendants rely heavily on tips from customers just to make ends meet:
“They said they’re surviving on tips from customers. I had no choice but to give them some extra money for themselves.”
The original post quickly went viral, sparking widespread outrage and calls for justice from concerned Nigerians in the comment sections, with many expressing disbelief and condemning the station’s payment practices.
Here are some reactions from social media users:
@JayjamAdebayo: “How is this even possible? I’m not sure there are people paid 10k monthly for a job even in the remotest part of Nigeria, talk more of Abuja. This is dangerous.”
@DavidsOffor: “N10k per month?? If true, this is modern day slavery o.”
@OgboguJeremiah: “It has to be per week. It can’t be per monthly because how are they even surviving with that amount. Data alone a month is like 6k already, wetin come remain.”
@victorumesi: “This is so difficult to believe. Like this would have been just as sad even 10yrs ago.”
@SIDmiester: “This can’t be the truth. They are probably exaggerating. It can’t be true. 10k in Maitama is unimaginable.”
@cornecares: “Most of these filling stations are not paying well. It’s ridiculous to see workers being treated like slaves. The terrible thing is that the salary is not regular. They still owe their staff. May God help.”
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