₦airaland Forum

Lamasta:
Guilty as charged she was only being remorseful.....

She handed the bracelet in after being investigated

Never was it written in the writeup that she denied seeing the bracelet in the first place. Her excuse was that she forgot completely due to old age. You can see that people over there were even protesting in her favour because she has been returning lost items like that for many years.

Focusmind:
Nigerians and ignorance. People could still work in any age as long as the person is still fit and strong. I worked with a 74 year old man while I was in the UK. I have an 82 great grandmother from my village that is still working in a child care services with the city of Houston in the US.

The woman's situation is dicey and could be misinterpreted by people depending on one's perception of her action. If the bracelet stayed with her for a week and she voluntarily returned it, it could be accepted that she forgot it in her bag when she found it. But if she returned it when she was caught via CCTV and she returned it with an explanation that she forgot, then, it would be difficult for people to believe her. I pity her. It is bad to have a dent on your career, especially abroad. Seeking for jobs abroad requires serious disclosure on one's past and any dent on your previous work could spell doom for your career.

Co-signed.

Her absent-mindedness, her advanced age notwithstanding, is clearly something the University has chosen not to overlook.

She may have forgotten to submit it to the authorities out of degeneration of the brain caused by old age

Baronthecelebri:
Why will she forget it for 3 days

She is old. Old people forget things

femi4:
I just forgot. At my age, you can forget like that.

More reason you should stop working

You are right, she undermined her own case with that excuse.
Elsewhere, her daughter appears to have done much the same as well.

Janet’s daughter wrote to LSE to explain her mother’s side of the story, highlighting not only her age but also communication barriers that may have played a role, as English is not Janet’s first language.

Seventy-two of Janet’s colleagues, as well as three managers, have signed a petition calling for her reinstatement. They vouch for her character, her exceptional work ethic and her years of dedicated service. Their support reflects the deep respect Janet commands across the university.

Source: https://www.uvwunion.org.uk/en/news/2025/05/i-dont-steal-im-not-a-thief-uvw-to-sue-lse-over-summary-dismissal-of-70-year-old-migrant-cleaner

It will be interesting to see how this one pans since she now has her workers' union on side.

I wish her well.

melonsgroup:
So you forgot it for 3 Days..
Inside your bag

A 71 yrs old woman can easily forget things. You don't know her condition so don't judge. After all she still has it in her bag. If she wanted she would have pawned it.

Nemesis0147:
and she is still struggling to pay rent?
No husband
No children?
She should have made plans for her retirement long time ago
Even if na to come back Nigeria and set up.

The story never discussed all these things you mentioned here. Why are you trying to funkify it.

But that's not ruling out the fact she failed to do the needful in her youthful age as revealed here that she's worked there for 13 years as a cleaner.

This should be an eye opener for our younger generation aspiring to japa. Japa with sense, go to school, plan your life. Money is not picked on the streets of the western countries.

You should do everything necessary to plan your life so you don't end up being a mama London with such a dirty job.

Dougad:
I don't understand why a 70-year-old woman, who has been in the UK since she was a teenager, still works as a cleaner. She experienced the good 'ol days of the UK before things became as bleeped up as it is and should have made enough to already retire. Something's wrong

Anyone can fall into hard times and all your life's saving wiped off in an instant. Ask Emmanuel Eboue formally of arsenal fc.

Greattha:
The thing with the UK is that most of our youth get there and get side-tracked. Many of them don't exceed high-school either because they're there illegally or deliberately just refuse to further. It's not easy getting professional jobs cos it's only if there's no white person who can do the job that they consider other citizens.

The ease of making money through blue collar jobs also doesn't help matters especially considering her age.

It's not surprising that she's still a cleaner after so many years...she probably started off as an illegal...This is why I tell people- don't go to UK or anywhere to hide...you'll regret it las las.

It is well...I hope she's re-instated...if she's able to make a good case...especially now that students and supervisors are rallying for her.

It's just recently that many youths began going for masters and professional studies.

You must also remember that she arrived in the UK at a time when the socio-political climate was very different.
Black people worked in jobs that placed them at the bottom of the totem pole, back then, because that was all that was on offer.

TyroneP:
By my calculation, she moved to the UK at the age of 17 and that was 54 years ago.

yet still doing cleaning job at 71??

Baronthecelebri:
Why will she forget it for 3 days

She's 71! Old age.

If you don't gerrit, forgetbourrit😂

themanderon:
Anyone can fall into hard times and all your life's saving wiped off in an instant. Ask Emmanuel Eboue formally of arsenal fc.

True

Shellsploit:
71 year old still doing cleaning job in UK
What Nigeria cannot do to its citizens does not exist!

she is being paid well, and there is security.
But in Nigeria... Payment is too low. It can't last for up to a week.

Mama, come home. You have done your best.

Shellsploit:
71 year old still doing cleaning job in UK
What Nigeria cannot do to its citizens does not exist!

It was her personal choice for not advancing bettering her options since 1971. I don’t see how this is Nigeria’s fault. You should invest more in gaining the ability reason, read, and understand. She was 17 when she moved to the UK

muyico:
This stories gat k leg,limited ages dey for working class
Ages of 70yrs ,she supposed to dey old ages home not working

.... nonsense and ignorant talk, you just assume that anyone wey been 70+ suppose dey old people's home. Old people's home are meant for people who are unable to take care of themselves. The likes of Trump, OBJ, Kuyumi, Oshomole who are over 70, are they in Old people's home?

Nemesis0147:
and she is still struggling to pay rent?
No husband
No children?
She should have made plans for her retirement long time ago
Even if na to come back Nigeria and set up.

.... This how you people fail exam and start blaming your Village people, Where in the write up did they mention her private life that you concluded that she does not have a husband or Children.

uvie66:
.... This how you people fail exam and start blaming your Village people, Where in the write up did they mention her private life that you concluded that she does not have a husband or Children.

so you didn’t see the comment I mentioned?
Nwa teacher

That an appeal hearing is tolerated at all indicates that the granny is in a place where things are in order and functional, unlike where anything goes.

MaziObinnaokija:
In ur little mind,u tink she's NOT aware of that cctv camera .Wait till reach even 40/50 b4 u understand..@71 years old,u expect her to remember everything like 17 years old right ?. Get WISDOM

She stole it! She decided to come clean when she was accused and she realized her accusers have evidence.

Dougad:
I don't understand why a 70-year-old woman, who has been in the UK since she was a teenager, still works as a cleaner. She experienced the good 'ol days of the UK before things became as bleeped up as it is and should have made enough to already retire. Something's wrong

.... another bad assumption, how do you know that she has not done positive with her life ?
Maybe she is just doing it out of boredom. I know many people in the UK national health service who have retired from the service but were called back to work, albeit part time, in such a situation they will be collecting their pension from the NHS, pension from the Government if they are over 65, and also their part time salary.
These individuals are not destitute desperate for money rather they are are doing these jobs as way of socializing and in some ways still engaging the brain.

melonsgroup:
So you forgot it for 3 Days..
Inside your bag

That is even how u know she forgot it true true. If she ment to steal it for her use, it would have been kept in her personal collection in her home. If she ment to sell it, she would have already.

When I used to work cleaning, we used to find stuff all the time. Oyibo r very careless. The company expects u to take them to reception immediately... who does that? From second or 3rd floor..? If I had to interrupt my shift everytime I find something while cleaning, I will never get through the work on time so I just make a mental or written note of where I found what and pop items in my pocket to turn in after my shift is done. Sometimes you forget all about it until u are home and taking off your uniform.

thesicilian:
That is not true. We have health insurance here as well for cleaners: both private HMOs and the government NHIS (National Health Insurance Scheme). In lagos there's the LASHMA (Lagos state health management agency )
In a standard people orientated society, you shouldn't be allowed to work at certain ages when the society should be the one taking care of you. Let's not praise what's killing us.

It depends on what the health insurance covers. There are surgeries that the Nigeria health insurance won't cover. I remember the history of a Nigerian shared here on nairaland some years back. His health insurance package couldn't cover his hand surgery despite working in a good organisation in Nigeria. It was a dubai citizen of Indian ancestry that helped him out under his insurance cover. I'm not talking of malaria and typhoid that most Nigerian health insurance covers . I understand your point though, especially the age bracket under which old people are supposed to stop working and like I said earlier, it's only in Nigeria people see it as a big deal seeing old people working.

Visit America one day and see grandpa working as security or cleaner. They don't see it as a big deal, even though they've attained retirement age. I've seen many over there. Some already had their back bending. It's not good but who will feed them? As we love giving back to our parents at old age, nobody cares over there. Once they're grown, they leave the house. Some nice children may visit once in a while why many won't. They'd say parents have pensions, health insurance and government care to enjoy. Worse case, they throw them inside old people's home when they're too old to go out.
That's one of the reasons I hate the system. I can't raise my children there. It's unafrican. Most Nigerians emulate them, too bad, while Chinese and Indians living there still keep their culture intact. Some of them still pay mortgage even at old age with a few years to complete them. If he dares miss one month, he may lose the entire contribution he's been making for almost 3 decades on the mortgage.To avoid this, papa or mama must work. Hope you understand

geoworldedu:
Never was it written in the writeup that she denied seeing the bracelet in the first place. Her excuse was that she forgot completely due to old age. You can see that people over there were even protesting in her favour because she has been returning lost items like that for many years.

Ignorance is not an excuse in the court of law that is all I have to say to you

So suddenly English is no longer her first language for someone that crossed over in 1971?

if she saw it 3 days ago and dint return it
but only returned it after being questioned
saying she forgot it in her purse means she might forget or she was waiting to see if it wont be looked for before she sells it.

It was a trap, considering her age, it is possible that the school is tired of her services and doesn't know how to discharge her off her duties to employ younger blood but rather had to disgrace her out. Those Brits are the most cunning people in the world.


At 71 you should have retired back to your country. Everyone abroad should start planning for retirement now. Old age is coming.

Don't say I did not warn you.

Lamasta:
Ignorance is not an excuse in the court of law that is all I have to say to you

Yes you are right, she is guilty of her mistake. Humans can't be perfect. But did not steal the bracelet.

SSpeter:
She stole it! She decided to come clean when she was accused and she realized her accusers have evidence.

Where did you read all these from?

Nemesis0147:
and she is still struggling to pay rent?
No husband
No children?
She should have made plans for her retirement long time ago
Even if na to come back Nigeria and set up.

Those were my thoughts yesterday before deciding to post the story. Even in Nigeria, we have retirees living in their private properties and not paying rent.