Lagos Lawmakers To Honour Honest Cleaner

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Eromsele Ebhomele

This may be the beginning of better life for Josephine Agwu, a cleaner with one of the cleaning concessionaires at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos State, western Nigeria, as the state House of Assembly has decided to honour her for returning N12 million, which she picked in the course of her job, to the rightful owner.

Some of the lawmakers, at plenary on Monday evening, suggested that Agwu, a National Diploma holder who earns N7,800 per month, be recommended for employment with the state government.

She would be invited to the House any moment from now where the lawmakers would decide how best to honour her for her honesty.

The lawmakers berated the Federal Government for refusing to honour the lady even though it was the third time she would find money and return same to their owners in the course of her job.

The issue was raised under Matter of Urgent Public Importance by Rotimi Abiru, the Deputy Whip of the House.

In his plea that Agwu be honoured by the House, Abiru said the woman found the amount, in hard currencies, while cleaning the toilet at the airport. Instead of taking possession of the monies, she returned the bag containing the monies to the airport management.

He noted that it was surprising that the girl would return such amount even when she earns N7,800, an amount lower than the normal minimum wage in the country.

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Abiru said the first time Agwu picked a bag of money, it belonged to a Nigerian. In the second case, it belonged to a white man who compensated her with just $50 which she rejected until her colleagues forced her to collect it.

He lamented that in this third case, the owner of the monies did not even deem it fit to compensate her.

Sanai Agunbiade, while commending Abiru for coming up with the issue, said even though she works with the Federal Government, she lives in Lagos and that celebrating her would encourage others to imbibe that same virtue especially as the country was witnessing a somersault of moral values.

In his position, Abiodun Tobun another lawmaker, said honouring Miss Agwu is not just enought, but that the House should recommend her for immediate employment as this would ease her burden and would be considered a major intervention in her life.

Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who presided over the plenary session, said it was heartwarming that in Nigeria where things are currently going awry, some people can still prove that the country is not all about corruption.

He expressed surprise that a lady earning such a meagre amount as salary could return money on three occasions, adding that this was worth commending.

He then directed the Clerk to arrange for the invitation of Miss Agwu to the House.

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