A school teacher, Mrs. Ayodele Grace, on Wednesday returned to the coffers of Ekiti State Government, the sum of N101,000 wrongly paid to her, as rural and core subject allowance.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Grace, who teaches in Ikere-Ekiti, was wrongly credited with the money meant for those teaching in rural schools and those taking core subjects in public secondary schools.
According to a press statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, Grace sent a text message to the governor when she got the alert from her bank, and told the governor she was not entitled to the allowance.
The elated Fayose, who thereafter hosted Grace and her husband in his office as mark of appreciation, was said to have told the teacher that he was surprised at her level of honesty.
“After the first text message, she sent me another reminder that the money was still in her account and that she did not know how to get it returned to government’s coffers.
“I decided to call her to thank her for her honest act; I promised to reward her with N50,000, but I was again surprised when she said she would not take the monetary reward.
“I asked her what she wanted and she said her husband was unemployed and would not mind if I could assist in that area.
“This is the virtue of a good woman and wife. I decided then that her husband will be given employment by the state government.
“This woman should be celebrated. The other time some teachers were accused of using their students as child labourers, we cried out, so when a teacher has done something commendable too we must let the world know that,” Fayose was quoted as saying .
According to the statement, the state’s Head of Service was immediately mandated by the governor to perfect the employment papers of Grace’s husband.
“He has been given employment by the state government with immediate effect.
“I am using this medium to call on other teachers, who might have been wrongly credited with allowances, to come out and return same to the government.’’ (NAN)