A twenty-nine year-old had
on April 7, 2016, found $10,000 close to the main gate of the Oba Akran branch
of the UBA, where he worked as a security guard.
The money had fallen from
customer who withdrawn $84,500 by a bank customer.
The security guard with the
United Bank for Africa, Mohammed Ogbanago, who returned $10,000 (about N2.8m)
misplaced by a customer, has said he was ridiculed for the action.
He explained that he
returned the money to show that all Nigerians were not corrupt and to set a
good example for Nigerian youths. The Kogi State indigene earns N30,000 (about
$100) per month.
The security guard was said
to have taken the money to the bank’s operation manager, who then handed it
over to the customer when he revisited the bank.
The bank’s Chief Executive
Officer, Tony Elumelu, hosted Ogbanago at the bank’s corporate headquarters on
the Lagos Island.
The bank repeatedly
promised to give him a letter of commendation for the ‘unusual’ conduct.
Elumelu, who posted his
meeting with Ogbanago on his official Instagram page, said,
“When I heard about this
story, I knew I had to meet the man, who despite facing rising petrol and
transportation prices and ‘tomato Ebola,’ returned such a huge sum of money.”
During a chat with PUNCH
Metro, the guard, who graduated from the Kogi State College of Education in
2012, said good upbringing helped him to resist any temptation to abscond with
the money.
He added that the story of
an airport cleaner (Josephine Agwu), who returned the N12m she found at her
work place, also inspired him.He said he had boasted to his friends that he
would do better if he had the chance.
He said,
“And my chance came on that
day. I was coming from inside the bank when I saw the money on the ground and I
decided that the best thing was for me to take it to the operation manager. The
owner of the money later came to ask for it.
“After I did that, some
people started ridiculing me that I shouldn’t have returned the money and that
I should have considered my meagre salary before letting go of such a huge sum
of money. But I felt I did the right thing. If I had, for instance, taken the
money away and fled to my village, it would not be a case of misplaced money
again, but stealing and I could even be declared wanted.”
Ogbanago, who said he
aspired to public leadership, said his action was to show that not all
Nigerians were corrupt.
“Although my salary may not
be enough for my upkeep, especially with the current economic situation in the
country, it is no excuse to take what is not mine.
“I have been campaigning
that to make Nigeria great, we all must prove to be good Nigerians in our small
corners. Not all Nigerians are corrupt.
“I am happy I had the
chance to prove myself and I want other Nigerian youths to learn from it. I
want our youths to know that a good name is better than riches,” he added.
God would bless you continue with the honest character
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