Gov Ugwuanyi Rewards Teacher Who Returned N13.9m Wrongly Credited To Her

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Tuesday, gave the sum of N1m to one Mrs Josephine Nchetaka Chukwujama-Eze, an Enugu woman who returned the sum of N13,946,400.00 mistakenly paid into her account. The cash reward was announced by the state commissioner for gender affairs and social development, Princess Peace Nnaji.

Mrs Chukwujama-Eze, a teacher at a mission school in Enugu is from Enugu Ezike in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Hon Nnaji, while presenting the money to her on behalf of the governor, commended her for being a good ambassador of Enugu State, stressing that ‘this is the kind of culture we are inculcating in all our women, men, young boys and girls’. She said Mrs Eze’s action earned the women of Enugu State much respect, and called on the public emulate her exemplary honesty.

Nnaji said, “What we are witnessing today is heartwarming and thought-provoking. Mrs Josephine Chukwujama-Eze, who to the greatest chagrin of so many people, had the sum of N13,946,400.00 mistakenly credited to her bank account. Immediately she saw it, she quickly alerted her husband and they went to the bank and returned the money to the rightful owner.

“We all know that times are hard these days, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic. She is a teacher in a mission school, and look at what she has done. The Enugu State government wants to appreciate her for what she has done.”

Mrs Chukwujama-Eze, in a speech, commended Gov Ugwuanyi for the reward. In her words, “I was just being my normal self. I never knew that what I was doing will get to this extent. I did what I feel I should do. I did this just to clear my conscience.”

Her husband, Barr Chukwujama Eze, ascribed his wife’s display of honesty to family upbringing and the cultural value of Nsukka people.

His words: “What we have witnessed today is a life experience which didn’t come by accident. It is a function of family upbringing. We sincerely thank Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for this recognition. Nigeria is redeemable; Nigerians are good people and I am proud to say this”.

THE WHISTLER recalls that one Josephine Ugwu, also from Nsukka, in Enugu State, who works as a cleaner at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, in 2015, returned the sum of N12m she found while performing her duties. Also, Dr Samuel Maduka Onyishi, the chairman of Peace Group, equally from Nsukka, returned over N2.2bn wrongly paid to his account to the bank in 2019.