There's a popular saying that honesty is the best policy. Mrs Josephine Ugwu is a good example of what honesty and integrity look like. She used to be a cleaner at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. During her time there, she returned millions of Naira to their owners on three separate occasions. As a reward, President Buhari honoured her for her honesty and integrity.
When President Buhari honoured Josephine Ugwu
Mrs Josephine Ugwu's honesty was uncommon, considering that she earned only 12,000 Naira at the time. Hard times pushed her to move from Enugu to Lagos, where she began serving as a nanny. Eventually, she met a pastor who got her a job at the airport and offered to accommodate her. While doing her cleaning job at the airport, she started two businesses. She cooked local declicacies like abacha and pepper soup, which she sold to Customs and Immigration officers.
However, even before leaving Enugu she had found and returned the sum of 10 million Naira. Her acts of honesty continued in her new place of work in Lagos. Amazingly, between 2014 and 2015 she returned lost monies to their owners on more than one occasion. In December of 2014, she found the sum of 8 million Naira and returned it. Again, a few days later in the same month she found and returned the sum of 7 million Naira. Finally, in 2015 she found $12 million at the same airport and returned it. Converting that money to Naira, it would amount to the sum of N4.3 billion.
Consequently, Nigerians on social media began urging the federal government to reward Mrs Josephine. They argued that such a move by the federal government would encourage Nigerians to be honest in their dealings. The presidency finally answered that call on Tuesday morning at the banquet hall in the presidential villa. The event was organised by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The President's Remark
President Buhari honoured Josephine Ugwu with the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission Integrity Award. Also, the award came with a home ownership. Mrs Ugwu once expressed her desire to own a home. For this reason, the federal government chose to make that dream a reality.
Speaking at the event, the president urged Nigerians to be honest in public service. He noted with concern the need to uphold the values of loyalty, honesty, trust, and integrity. These were the values once cherished in public service. Speaking further, the president said that Nigerian culture does not tolerate dishonesty. Therefore, he called on Nigerians to reclaim the traditional values of honesty, integrity and hard work.
Read also: Which Family Values Do I Teach My Kids In Nigeria?
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