It's Reward Time for Airport Cleaner
For Josephine Ugwu, the cleaner who returned the sum of N12 million left by a traveller at the airport, awards and recognitions have trailed her good conduct. Recently she got one more award from the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (T
While a lot of people have termed her foolish and think she is cursed to remain poor for life, her good conduct has continued to earn her recognition and accolades. Josephine Ugwu, is a female a female staff of Patovilki Industrial Planners Limited, the industrial cleaning company handling cleaning services at Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos, who was reported to have returned the sum of N12 million stuffed in a bag forgotten by a traveller at the airport. For displaying such act of honesty, she has continued to receive accolades, recognitions and awards from various quarters.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) initially awarded her with the NOA Citizens’ Responsibility Award in recognition of her outstanding show of honesty. There also seems to be a pending award c from the Lagos State House of Assembly to compensate her for such rare act of honesty but while she waits for that, she recently got an award of recognition from the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr. Mike Okonkwo.
Okonkwo who had read about Ugwu in the newspapers and was moved by her singular demonstration of honesty felt such expression of good conduct at this age should not go without notice and so she was invited to the church during one of its special service where she was presented with a plaque, certificate and other gifts.
Okonkwo who was highly impressed by Ugwu’s conduct, said, “Recently, I read in the Newspapers about a cleaner by the name Josephine Ugwu, who found a sum of N12 million (in foreign currencies) at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport on January 23rd, 2015 and returned the whole amount to the owner, who just said thank you and walked away. Despite the fact that a lot of people who heard about it said it was foolish on Ugwu’s part to have returned that much money, I was so inspired by this young woman’s honesty. In the face of the high cost of living and prevailing economic challenges, it took a high level of moral integrity for Josephine whose monthly salary is N7, 800 to exhibit such act of honesty.”
Ugwu, who works for Patovilki Cleaning Services, a concessionaire engaged by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to keep the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos clean, was on a monthly salary of about N8, 000 before the incident.
Before the various awards and recognitions, Ugwu’s employer had increased her monthly salary from N8, 000 to N20, 000 and also promoted her to the position of a supervisor with a monthly salary of N20, 000. Her organisation apart from increasing her salary had also gave her N20, 000 cash and a freezer.
Ugwu, on one of her working days had found $28,000 and other foreign currencies totaling about N12m in one of the toilets. She never kept the money and did not even think about it and for this, Bishop Okonkwo applauded the lady’s honesty and urged Nigerians to emulate her.
Even though she was serious mocked and called all sort of names by most Nigerians, Ugwu says she has no regrets over her decision to return the money as she is sure it was the right thing to do.
Speaking during the TREM award, she said, “I feel highly elated. I am delighted and thankful to God, the Bishop and his church for this kind gesture. It was a rare opportunity and I pray that God rewards them abundantly.”
The cleaner who said she was not a member of the church, noted, “I am not a member of TREM. Today is my first time of worshiping here. But my understanding of God is that He is the same everywhere. I learnt that the Bishop heard that I found lost money at my work place and returned it to the owner and he decided to reward me even though he is not the owner of the lost money. I work as a cleaner at the Murtala Mohammed international airport, Lagos. The money was in dollars but its equivalent in naira was about N12 Million.”
The lady who also revealed that It was already the third time she had returned lost bags with big money inside, explained, “The first time was on December 23rd, 2014 when I found the sum of N600, 000 while picking refuse. It was in a small bag and I returned it to the FAAN security. The second time was on December 27, 2014, when I picked a laptop with some dollar notes that worth about N3 Million. I also took it to the security post and the owner later came to claim it. Then on January 23, 2015, I was picking dirt from the floor again when I saw a bag, which I thought belonged to the passengers that were chatting beside it. That was around 6:20 am. But after closing for my shift around 7:20 pm on that same day, I noticed that the bag was still there and decided to go and remind the passengers that sat beside it not to forget it. But they said it was not theirs and hurried out of the place. So, I checked the bag and when I noticed that it contained some dollar note, I took it to the FAAN security. They first checked the bag in the screening machine before opening it. And when they counted the money, it was about N12 Million, plus some naira notes. The owner later came to the security office and after interrogation, the security handed him the bag which he counted and confirmed that the cash was intact.”
Explaining why chose to return such amount of money to the owner instead of absconding with it like a lot of people have expected her to do, she said, “My family is not reach. We are very poor. I am an orphan and I have suffered a lot in life. I was just eight months when I lost my parents. I did not return the money because I am comfortable. But I have the fear of God and where I come from we do not take what does not belong to us no matter our level of difficulty or poverty. From tender age, we were taught never to take what did not belong to us. I am always grateful to God for seeing me through all my sufferings and trying times. So, stealing what another person sweated to earn will never make me rich. We are always encouraged in church to do good because good deeds always attract goodness.”
Speaking further on why she returned the money despite the economic hardship in the country, she said, “The outside world erroneously view Nigeria as a country with corruption, evil and dishonesty rooted in every citizen’s marrow. But the truth is that there are numerous good citizens in this country. There is no country that is free of corruption, evil men or dis-honest individuals. The only thing is that ours is usually over-celebrated. Many Nigerians have the fear of God and live clean lives far better than those that criticise our country.”
Ugwu who said the award by TREM meant a whole lot to her said, “It means the world to me. Bishop Okonkwo’s award will not only comfort me but it will also spur me to do more. I had been used to returning lost but found items to owners and I never expected reward for doing such. So, I see TREM’s recognition and other appreciations from Nigerians in recent times as special favour from God. So, it will help me to improve on my honesty, love for Nigeria and general attitude to life. My advice to Nigerians is that they should never lose hope in life. Everybody should be contended with what they have, manage it well and continue to work harder while praying to God for more blessings. That is the secret to good life.”
“Whether it is a kobo or thousands I got from TREM is not the issue. The main value lies in the spirit for which it was given to me; and the prayers and blessings they showered upon me. Remember that I earlier told you that I am not even a member of the church and the bishop did not know me before. Honestly, I am humbled”, she added.
Ugwu who had no doubt got a lot of negative reactions and comments from friend and colleagues at work and even across the nation, said, “Many people have been scolding me and calling me names – telling me that I will remain poor for life. Some of my friends and colleagues no longer talk to me since they heard that I returned the money, but I am not bothered. I have been strengthened by the reward from my company and the latest award from TREM. The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Godfrey Onah, has also called to pray for me, encourage me and wish me well. Before this period, some people had christened me Nwa Jesus (Child of Jesus), as mock name, at my workplace. And God has proven that I am truly His daughter. What more can be greater than that? I pray God to bless and reward Bishop Okonkwo, his family and TREM. He really has a heart of Gold.”