Lagos Assembly Honours Honest Airport Cleaner

Eromosele Ebhomele

After many weeks of commending Miss Josephine Ugwu, the cleaner who returned the sum of N12 million in foreign currencies she found at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, western Nigeria, to the Airport security in January this year, the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday honoured her at a plenary.

Miss Ugwu honoured the invitation by the House and attended the sitting with some of her friends and co-workers.

Deputy Speaker, Kolawole Taiwo who presided over the sitting, presented a letter of commendation and an undisclosed sum of money to Miss Ugwu.

The letter and the monetary gift were “for her act of honesty and patriotism for returning the sum N12 million on Friday, 23 January, 2015.”

The Deputy Speaker also thanked Ugwu for leveraging the image of Nigeria through her honest act.

Deputy Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Taiwo Kolawole

According to the letter, her action is a great inspiration to many who believe in the future of Nigeria.

“Your conduct has positively affected the image of Nigeria internationally. It is an act worthy of emulation. Because of this we decided to hold a special parliamentary session to celebrate your honesty, integrity, uprightness, sincerity, truthfulness and patriotism. We truly believe in you,” the letter stated.

One of the lawmakers at the sitting, Segun Olulade, while commending her earlier, urged the House to give Ugwu employment in the Assembly or recommend her to the state governor for employment to encourage other Nigerians to emulate her.

Also contributing, Rotimi Olowo, another lawmaker, added that the state government should honour her by naming any state institution or monument after her to drive home the need for honesty and integrity among the youths in the country.

Deputy Whip of the House, Rotimi Abiru, said he was very happy that his motion on Ugwu has seen the light of the day.

Abiru congratulated Ugwu, who he called a great lady, for being a proud Nigerian who has demonstrated to the world that there is hope for Nigeria as nation.

Thanking the House for the gesture, Ugwu said she was very happy.

“I never expected that I will be honoured to be in this Assembly let alone being recognised and honoured by this institution,” she said while adding that she was only doing her duty according to the rules of the organisation she works with and according to the training she received from her parents.

“My family trained me not take anything that does not belong to me.

“I also want to prove to the world that Nigeria is a good country with people of integrity unlike the wrong impression they have about the country,” she said, adding that this was the third time since December 2014 that she would be returning money left behind by passengers to the airport security.