When Are We Going to Investigate Nigerian Fuel Attendants?

You see this particular filling station, they should be jailed for the fraudulence they perpetrate with all but one of their fuel pumps. Armed robbers. (Photo credit: My guy Papi)

I was going to write about how difficult yesterday was and a weird incident after work, that would wait another day as a discussion with my Naija Pundit folks reminded me of the fraudulent idiots at gas stations across the country.

Naija Pundits is a group of professionals from different walks of life, in there we have different people from different backgrounds, mostly men but we have one or two ladies that pop in opinions once in a while, conversations about fraudulent gas stations inspired this article of today.

Growing up, long before I ever had a car, I always heard people condemn certain gas stations, but it took me a while to understand. We know how much communication goes into the fight against cyber crimes and advanced free frauds, but another menace we all need to fight is the scourge of fuel pump attendants at filling stations.

Let me tell you a short story. I drove into NNPC on Ogudu road early last year, I noticed there was a queue on a particular pump while the rest of the pumps were free, I couldn’t get to the free pump because the queue blocked the way, I was angry at why people hung on to just one pump.

If you go to that axis till date, the story is the same and it’s because every other pump at the station has been doctored and only the first pump from the exit pump is honest, and whenever the quality control officers visit, that’s the pump they show them, of course with brown envelope… Nigeria my country.

An attendant that worked there told me this for a fact and it’s the same for lots of filling stations around; I have almost the same experience at Heyden at Ilupeju, what is not entirely clear to me at this moment is if the problem is with the station or the attendants.

There was a day I bought fuel at Heyden and it was obvious that the guy sold nonsense to me, I challenged him and showed him my fuel gauge, the dude looked me in the eye, with a straight face and said “you just move, the fuel go rise when you’re on top speed”, I almost ran mad.

There are some refill stations you won’t even drag me into, MRS is the worst of all and maybe their initials resonate with a particular gender but let me leave it there, I used to trust Mobil but not anymore, Bellerin rates Enyo but certainly not me, they’re all frauds.

I was away to Ibadan recently and as we all know that the identity of rich folks in Ibadan is the ownership of a gas station, you wonder if they’re taking rapture and hell fire literally with the way they erect filling stations once they collect LAPO money, most of them are frauds.

BOVAS is the go-to station for honest fuel pump in Ibadan, the rest of them can only offer you one honest pump per station, there’s a life hack that most people agree to but I doubt it’s true to every situation with respect to the subject.

The school of thought that filling stations where you see “danfo” and “keke Napeps” will always come correct, these guys are commercial hustlers and will always know where the fuel is premium, don’t hold me by this tho, it’s a word from the street.

There’s also a place of the quality of the fuel being sold to you. Some can actually be honest with the quantity but you might be buying a poorly refined content that will burn too quickly, you’ll be wondering if they sold air to you.

This is why I totally trust Capital Oil around Berger but folks have complained about them too, now I’m wondering if they have select pumps that sell nonsense too, “wahala no too much laidis?”

Then there are stations that will drop their price by a few cents, trap from the pit of hell. If you fall victim I will laugh at you, you need to ask yourself if they buy theirs from the source cheaper than those that sell at the regulated price.

I actually trust Northwest, new on Gbagada express way but someone said they’re frauds too, I’m trying to remember the name of a new station just before you get to Ojota, they always come correct and I want to believe it’s the customary opening regime tactics, when they move mad I will go elsewhere.

What is your experience with Nigerian filling stations? Share in the comment section and kindly leave your name as well. There’s a strange queue ongoing at stations from the weekend, I heard it’s because a supply that was deployed recently contained an element that is harmful, and that is why some gas stations aren’t selling, will confirm but if you do before me please share for people to know in the comment section.