A taxi driver, Imeh Usuah receives N30,000 from National Orientation Agency for returning passenger's N18m

A taxi driver, Mr. Imeh Usuah, on Thursday received an award from the National Orientation Agency for returning N18m left in his car by a passenger.

Mr. Mike Omeri, Director General of the agency, said this in Abuja while giving the award of N30,000 to Usuah for his honesty and patriotism by returning N18m to the rightful owner.

The taxi driver was also given an award for his courage to do the right thing when most people would have seen the money as a way to enrich themselves.
Omeri said every Nigerian that did good would be honoured by the agency.

The NOA DG, who eulogised the exemplary life of the taxi driver said that every Nigerian “who toed the path of honesty and displayed a rare integrity must be celebrated.’’ Omeri said the award would be given to any Nigerian irrespective of status or class that showed act that depicted the values and culture of Nigeria.

The DG said those who often saw Nigerians in bad light should desist from that and begin to see her in good light, adding that peace, honesty and love was a Nigerian factor. He said for Usuah to have returned the money showed that Nigerian still had men and women of integrity.

Usuah, who plies the airport road, said he was at the car wash when he discovered there was a bag left behind after dropping the man off in a hotel and immediately returned it. “My mind went back to the man who I dropped at the hotel and I immediately alerted my chairman and he instructed me to go back to the place where I dropped him. I saw him and delivered his bag to him.”

Mr. Oche Elias, who represented the Minister of Aviation, said it was a rare display of honesty, adding that it was “a huge integrity and trust exhibited by Usuah.” He said with that act, the country’s image was being corrected, adding that everybody should be involved in the image management of the country.

Elias said the aviation ministry would organise a dinner in his honour to show to the world that integrity paid.