http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/10/durojaiye-an-exemplary-new-nigerian/

IMAGINE this! You are an indigent student. Most students  are usually not buoyant, but there are some whose cases are different. They are indigent enough that everyone knows their case, no matter how courageously they manage it.

Let us suppose your bank account has only N3,000. On a weekend, you walk up to an Automated Teller Machine, ATM, to cash N2,000, knowing the balance would be N1,000. You are wrong! The ATM informs you that the balance in your account is N9.3 billion!  Yes, N9.3 billion.

Confused, you rub your eyes and take another look at the printout. It is still N9.3 billion. To be sure it was not a glitch, you insert your card again, this time to withdraw N20, 000. The money rolls out. And your bank balance confirms that you are still a billionaire! What would you do?

A popular Lagos-based radio station posed this question to its listeners. Out of about 20 respondents, who were mainly young students and applicants, only three said they would alert the bank about the anomaly. The rest said they would take the money and run.

Some of them said, only “a fool” would get such a “divine windfall” and pass it up. Others said the money might even have been stolen by the person who put it in the wrong account in a moment of confusion.

At least, the respondents were frank, but their answers reflected a society whose future leaders had already been overcome by corruption, a deadly bug. The get-rich-by-any-means syndrome  is afflicting most Nigerians.

However, for Citizen Durojaiye Adeyemi Job, a Higher National Diploma Civil Engineering student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, it was not a hypothetical case of what he would do. He found N9.3 billion in his bank account. The bank branch  is located in his school.

According to media reports, he brought the matter before members of his family, a true Christian family, who not only advised him to return the N20,000 but also insisted that he should report the error to the bank’s management.

The following Monday, the first working day, he complied. What an exemplary Nigerian! What a rare family populated by people of integrity even in its indigence? Who says then that Nigerians are waiting to get rich by any means? Members of the Job family are Nigerians.

Durojaiye had strong convictions about how to act. He also had the firm backing of his family. If the circumstances were different, he would have been tempted to take the money. If some crooked bank officials had known about it, they would have immediately, for a fee, offered him “technical advice” on how he could transfer the money, while he could go into hiding with his loot in some criminal haven.

Only a few who are tempted ever get the opportunity to think thoroughly about decisions of this manner.

Since Durojaiye returned the money, his life has never been the same. He has been reaping the benefits of his honesty, and from the way things are going, the rewards will continue.

For instance, The Polytechnic has offered him a scholarship and automatic employment on completion of his studies. The Oyo State Government has given him the Exemplary Leadership Behaviour 2010 Award. With honesty and integrity, the sky is the limit for this young man, for Nigeria needs people like him in its march to a future of greatness.

If the Bank had lost this amount of money, which was obviously wrongly paid into Durojaiye’s account, it would have caused a major crisis for the bank.

Vanguard salutes the courage and uprightness exhibited by Durojaiye and his family and commends their great example to the generality of Nigerians. Durojaiye has done more to re-brand Nigeria than the Federal Ministry of Information and Communications in three years of noisy campaigns.

People like Citizen Durojaiye and his family members deserve our national awards, not some serving and former public office holders whose wealth comes from looting the public treasury.

Nigeria should be proud of acts of honesty like this  and let the world know about it.  There are still honest and God-fearing people who would rather die in penury than soil their family names. As Citizen Durojaiye will discover, integrity is a convertible currency.

He can look forward to a future of happiness derived from the joys of his honesty and the clear conscience that he did not cheat the bank, though his indigence would have been a good reason to do so.

As we celebrate Citizen Durojaiye, governments, institutions and organisations should make a point of rewarding honesty, as a way of motivating Nigerians  to imitate their honest compatriots and correct the too many images of honest Nigerians who died in poverty.

Nice, i think the guy would be better off eventually.

Now to the reason why i am replying this post.

This post made front page.
As at the time of writing this post, its the 4th topic on Nairaland homepage.

Am sure someone is asking "Where is this going to?"

Isn't it funny that there are no comments or replies on this topic. For God's Sake this is a commendable effort by a young man. The truth is "THIS" is the reason why our country is still in the same hole. bad people do things, WE Shout, Good people do thing and we go silent. I trust that were this in the US, the guy would have an accountant and manager now, because every radio, tv and media outlet would be looking to praise his effort.

My people say something o. At least the guy may be on nairaland also. So encourage him, ABEG

Lastly, the only reason i can see why there are no comments on this is probably because there is another post on it somewhere else. Did not bother to check sha!

@oluwabamis, Thanks

Nice one

The reason why no one is replying is because it is an old story that had made front page a while ago with many responses.
The follow up story also made the front pages not too long ago ( i think this week).
I just feel this story making the front pages is an overkilll cos there is nothing left to be said except "nice one".

Chairman, i don't doubt you at all.
But if i save a bank and a country and an unstable economy 9.3 billion Naira.

An SMS every day of the week for the rest of my life would not be a bad idea.
As much as possible, even if it is just "Nice One", lets put here, for PUTS sake.

Who knows, one day down the line someone may publish a post saying when
Durojaiye did this in 2010, he recieved 8,000,000 replies/hits on nairaland.

Its those kind of things that matter in the future, besides it will encourage others.
Wait till i save a bank, when i come in, the MD has to jump to my aid o. LOL

@Blank, @Denony, Nice One!

blank:

The reason why no one is replying is because it is an old story that had made front page a while ago with many responses.
The follow up story also made the front pages not too long ago ( i think this week).
I just feel this story making the front pages is an overkilll cos there is nothing left to be said except "nice one".

thank you oh!

Odua nation has many people like this man.

The boy is a future EFCC Chairman, so he should keep up the good behaviour.

Alleno, i understand your pains, you must be a good man too.

I wish Durojaiye well, he is a strong man, only great guys can do such a thin. i wish him and his family great joy.

Yeah, yeah, the same thing I'd do. Kudos, Big Boy!

juman:

Odua nation has many people like this man.

Yoruba rocks !

Good for him.
Those billions would have def done him more harm than good.

This guy attends my church and on saturday, the General Overseer on behalf of the church gave him some amount of money which was not disclosed, a processed visa and travel expenses, a tear rubber car and an award of excellence.
I think this is just the begining for him.
It good to be honest

KnowAll:

The boy is a future EFCC Chairman, so he should keep up the good behaviour.

I don't think there will be such organisation in the future,cos I can see our country free from corruption and others (Hopefully).

nikkykay:

This guy attends my church and on saturday, the General Overseer on behalf of the church gave him some amount of money which was not disclosed, a processed visa and travel expenses, a tear rubber car and an award of excellence.
I think this is just the begining for him.
It good to be honest

This is a good example for our future youths and today's youths.

[size=20pt]The Bank should issue him a Certificate of Honesty[/size] [size=4pt]whatever that is[/size] [size=20pt]and at least N 5million[/size]

Many people will do the same thing in Nigeria. There very few dare devil guys that will take the money. It was easy to tract him. He knew that. That was the reason he didn't take the money and returned the N20,000 he took the preious night. But you know this is the time God plan to bless him.God bless people in any way. Wonderful God.

first time this topic was dicussed on nairaland, there were some contrary reactns to what d guy did and to me dat na naija 4u. Anyway young nigerians should emulate this and KUDOS to DUROJAIYE

alleno:

Chairman, i don't doubt you at all.
But if i save a bank and a country and an unstable economy 9.3 billion Naira.

An SMS every day of the week for the rest of my life would not be a bad idea.
As much as possible, even if it is just "Nice One", lets put here, for PUTS sake.

Who knows, one day down the line someone may publish a post saying when
Durojaiye did this in 2010, he recieved 8,000,000 replies/hits on nairaland.

Its those kind of things that matter in the future, besides it will encourage others.
Wait till i save a bank, when i come in, the MD has to jump to my aid o. LOL

@Blank, @Denony, Nice One!

Agree with you Alleno for bringing up this story again. We sholud talk about this and let people know that honesty pays.  

couple of weeks ago when the story broke, lots of people on NL thought the guy was a fool for alerting the bank.  No I wonder how many have changed their opinions.

The get- rich-quick-at-all-cost mindset is one of the things holding us back as a people.

As much as i would want to commend Durojaiye and his family, I think the amount involved was way too large withdraw without raising suspicion. Even if he had decided to leave it in his account to spend it gradually he would be found out with time and would make a very embarrassing story. I think the money cause more panic than any quick ideas

Rubbish !!!
He just left N9.3billion no i mean almost $1million dollar to those bank officials. He is the biggest Ode in nigeria.
You are lucky you are not on Nl i would have dealt with you mercylessly. Stupid boy.
KAI !! 4500000 bags of garri this would have bought.

this guy deserve a national honours, much more than 70% of those who got the award this year. I have also said it that seun of nairaland deserves it too, We at nairaland shd give him an award even if JEG dont give him. My countryman, just keep on doing what you know how to do. you will soon be known all over the world. The western skeptics shd get to hear this. congratulations, durojaiye

spikedcylinder:

"Yoruba rocks"?  You people are indeed pathetic.

How ?

Youngichou:

Rubbish !!!
He just left N9.3billion no i mean almost $1million dollar to those bank officials. He is the biggest Ode in nigeria.
You are lucky you are not on Nl i would have dealt with you mercylessly. silly boy.
KAI !! 4500000 bags of garri this would have bought.

real ode! i agree. Trust my Igbo Brothers. dem nor go slack like that MOFO!

Youngichou:

Rubbish !!!
He just left N9.3billion  no i mean almost $1million dollar to those bank officials. He is the biggest Ode in nigeria.
You are lucky you are not on Nl i would have dealt with you mercylessly. silly boy.
KAI !! 4500000 bags of garri this would have bought.

you dont really mean what you just said,right?. the truth is that you cant really have peace of mind stealing that sum of money. its not possible, except your conscience is cold dead. But if you arent joking with that comment, then we shd all be careful of you because you cant be trusted with OPM (other people's money)

if he was my father, i will disown him
if he was my brother, i will  beat the s.hit out of him
if he was my friend, thats the end of the friendship  (dont make friends with losers)
if he was my sister boyfriend !!!!! God help him the day he steps his wretched legs in our house again.

spikedcylinder:

It's a Yoruba vs ibo thing now? Or you're trying to start something?

I only react to someone's comment about oduduwa anyways I'm not trying to start anything atleast for now.

spikedcylinder:

@ topic
Question remains, who owned the money?

^^^^^  In as much as I commend d lad, it'll be better to let us know who owns d dough or how d mistake occurred in d first place?

May  God bless the boy, infact he must become a billionaire in his life time, just like i look to becoming one. If only 50 percent of Nigerians were like this, then we wld have had reasons to celebrate Nigeria at 50. The Country wld have been far better than developing. But i believe, there is hope.