Helen Ovbiagele

WE were waiting to be served at this filling station when a gentleman drove furiously into the station and screeched to a halt, attracting much attention. “My friend, please come here,” he told the attendant at the pump. “Er, oga, I’m busy now.” “Alright, I’ll wait for you to finish attending to that vehicle.” When the attendant finished, he turned to the man.  “Yes, oga?”

“You remember me?”

“Er, …………..”
“You do.  I’ve just left here.  You sold me fuel, or pretended to sell me fuel about fifteen minutes ago.”
“Oga, pretend to sell you fuel?  We don’t do that here.”

“Well, you just did that.  You remember that when I came here, I told you to fill up my tank.  At that time, the needle on my fuel guage was almost at zero.  You put the nozzle into my tank and started your machine.  One of your colleagues came to block  my view of the pump, and I told him to move off.  I was the only customer at this station then, so, you must remember that.”

“Er, maybe, oga.”

“When your mate moved off, you suddenly told me that the pump had stopped because electricity was gone.  You shouted to your mate to start the gen set, and then told me you going to start the pump  again. I said  I couldn’t wait and I asked how much fuel you had already put. You told me it was one thousand four hundred naira. I paid and left.  Ten minutes after I left, I observed that the needle in my guage hadn’t moved up at all; instead, it was getting closer to the zero mark. It was clear to me that no fuel had been put in my tank.

“Oga, maybe your fuel guage is faulty or your tank leaks,” someone suggested. “There’s nothing wrong with my tank or my fuel guage.  Look here, my man, what you did was very dishonest of you.  How can you steal my money just like that?”

“What?  See my trouble o!” screamed the attendant. “Oga, please respect yourself o!  Are you calling me a thief?  Why should I steal one thousand four hundred naira?  Maybe the fuel leaked from your tank.  Maybe your guage isn’t working.”

“You know what?  I live only three streets away from here.  I’ll call a welder to come take down this tank to check if it leaks, and also my auto electrician to come check the guage.  You didn’t put any fuel in my tank.   You cheated.  Such money can never bless you.  You should beg God  for forgiveness and repent, otherwise you will regret this your dishonesty.”

“Oga, don’t curse me o!  My own father is an alfa, so your curses can’t affect me.” More heated words and then a man came out of an office to introduce himself as the manager at the station.  He listened attentively to the aggrieved gentleman and then apologized.

“Actually, sir, they came to report to me that the pump didn’t bring out any petrol when you were being  served.  We’re sorry about the incident.  Here, we shall refund the one thousand four hundred naira that was collected from you.  Have it, sir.  Don’t be angry.  Please remain our customer.  Take the money.”

“Oh no!  I don’t want it back.  Let the man keep it.” Without waiting for any reaction from the attendant and his boss, the man drove off. We didn’t have enough trust in that filling station and the attendants to stay and buy fuel.  We left too.

Actually, this cheating at the pumps is not new at all.  It’s just that it takes place in various forms.  The one I’m used to is attendants not going back to zero before they start serving you; particularly when they’ve just attended to a motor-cyclist.   If the latter bought five hundred naira fuel, the attendant would just start serving you from that point.  For the deception to be carried out unnoticed, he would engage you in a conversation to distract your attention.

“Madam, how was your day?’  ‘I hope the traffic wasn’t too bad?’ ‘You’re sweating; isn’t your aircon working?’  ‘You’re welcome, ma.’ etc.,  I’ve been told many times when I stop for fuel. Over the years, I’ve learnt not to take the bait and respond; instead, I keep my eyes fixed to the figures at the pumps.

Obstructing your view of the pump so that you can’t see the amount of money registering on the meter, is another way by which you’re cheated. Or, they quickly wipe the amount off, and start serving another motorist.  Then you wouldn’t know how much fuel you were really sold.  They know that some people would feel too self-conscious to question their action.

Some years ago when I asked my mechanic why he was looking for a job in a filling station for his wife, when he had told me that attendants were paid a mere five thousand naira a month, he told me that it was what they all shared at the end of the day when proceeds exceed what was actually sold, that made the job worthwhile.

“You mean what they cheated members of the public out of?” I asked.  He laughed.

Some people may wave away these little malpractices, saying that only small amounts of money are  involved each time, but the act is stealing, and it is a crime; whether what you’re cheated out of,  is huge or small.

Yet some others may excuse the act, saying that these attendants are paid very little and we should sympathize with them and pretend not to notice.  I don’t agree.  If we allow such dishonesty to slip through without checking it, we’re condoning crime.  We might as well say it’s okay for a child to steal if he/she is hungry.  Can  you imagine the future of such a child who’s been brought up to believe that it’s alright to take things that don’t belong to one, or, charge money for services not rendered?

I’m not saying here that we should waste time calling in the police and having these people arrested and  charged to court for cheating at the pumps, when there are others in high places who we’re told have enriched themselves with public funds, yet, who are walking about free.  However, it is important for us all to shun and condemn all those things which have marked Nigeria out globally, as a nation of corrupt and dishonest people.

Most of us can do with more
money than we have, but obtaining it by fraud is criminal, and it sends  the wrong signals to the young who will be the leaders of the country in future, as they would think that, provided you don’t steal anything big, it’s alright to cheat or take what’s not yours.

Fuel dealers should instill in their staff the need to be polite, honest and above board in their  service.  It is normal for customers to tip fuel attendants for good service, or forgo change after payment.  This can be shared at the end of the day; instead of sharing what has been obtained by dishonest means.