A recent graduate whose name is undisclosed for confidential reasons has expressed shock and dejection after learning that he still has to pay to work in the field he was so passionate about.
The twenty-something-year-old revealed to our reporter that he had spent nearly two decades of his life acquiring formal education and then a professional degree in order to break the chains of poverty in his family. Only for him to graduate, get a job in his field, and be told to pay for it.
“They said that if I study hard, I will be rich and be able to take care of my family. They also told me that nothing should keep me from being solely focused on my passions. That’s all I ever did. Where do they want me to see the money?” the graduate lamented bitterly.
According to a cost breakdown given by the graduate, the probationary job he just secured was paying the minimum wage of ₦77,000. But he was also required to appear in his best formal attire for every single day of work. This is after spending fifty per cent of his salary on feeding and another thirty-five per cent on transport, leaving him barely ₦10,000 naira to figure out rent, bills, and other expenses.
“In my line of work, our bosses expect us to take care of the client and make them feel comfortable. There’s no budget or company card, so we end up spending our own money. It’s a probationary position, so we are trying to show intuition,” the graduate revealed.
He further revealed that he had coworkers who are probationary and have been probationary for six years running.
“One of my coworkers is married with three kids on my salary. Although he takes more overtime and earns more performance-related bonuses, it only amounts to like fifteen per cent of the salary, so I find his steps difficult to follow.”
To further expatiate on the severity of the situation, the graduate revealed that he had to join a weekly contribution (ajo) to pay his house rent. He added that when his phone got spoiled and his laptop got stolen at work, he had to get new ones through a hire-purchase agreement.
When asked why he had not quit since the job was proving to be a dead end, our graduate stated that he had family and responsibilities. He further stated that he had friends who earn more and face even more brutal working conditions. “At least, I kind of love this profession,” he said.
Findings by this reporter, which were confirmed by the graduate, revealed that the company that this graduate works for, Corp X, declared a $150,000,000 profit last quarter with a 67 per cent profit increase from last year.
When this reporter called the company’s official public relations unit, the person on the line was confounded by questions on workers’ welfare and hung up. This reporter was able to reach the vice president of Corp X, who, upon hearing “fair and equitable wages,” convulsed and had to be taken into intensive care.
When this reporter met with a federal government-approved labour expert, he stated that as long as the labour of our graduate is consensual, there was no abuse. He further implied that our graduate could take on additional jobs and stop moaning about meeting his basic needs.
“We need to build our country into a global force. But we can’t do that when our youth are bitching about pay and welfare. They need to tighten their belt and work hard,” he said.
Oluwagbenga Kolawole is a writer and political thinker with a deep respect for the style of Amos Tutuola’s The Palmwine Drinkard. In his spare time, he can be found blowing bubbles, fighting crime, or staring suspiciously at the news. He is also a husband to several beautiful women and the boyfriend of one beautiful lady, to all of whom he remains entirely faithful. He is the reigning champion of the World Sarcasm Federation Championship, a title he takes very seriously. You can catch up with him on Substack at thekaygeepapers.substack.com or on X at @olukolawole_.
Discover more from Punocracy
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
