Former lecturer returns sum of money mistakenly paid into her account

A former lecturer of the University of Ibadan, Mrs Anuoluwa Iyanu, has indicated her willingness to return a sum of N487, 901. 91 mistakenly paid into her account after she had resigned her appointment with the university.


Mrs Iyanu, who was a lecturer in the departments of Computer and later Electrical Electronics between 1995 and 1999, said after she had resigned from the university, her salary was paid for sometime before it was finally stopped.


According to her, "I discovered a sum of N487, 901.91 in my account which I am planning to return to the university. I am now retired and away from the country, I will make necessary arrangements to return the money to the university," she said in a letter addressed to the Deputy Bursar, Mr Michael Alatishe.


Reacting, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole, described Mrs Iyanu, as a honest person whose action deserved public commendation and emulation.


Professor Adewole said this kind of honesty was rare and almost unprecedented, pointing out that some people would have preferred to keep silent and spend the money more so when the account owner has retired and not even in Nigeria.


The UI boss, who noted that since no one was above mistake, "he argued that when money was mistakenly paid into one's account, what is expected to do was what Mrs Iyanu has done, because if such money is later discovered, the beneficiary would suffer embarrassment that money cannot remove .


Commending Mrs Iyanu, Professor Adewole, thanked the ex-lecturer for not regarding the money as miracle as her name implies, but rather, choosing the path of honour by alerting the bursary, saying "this is the kind of honest attitude that Nigeria needs at this point in time"


Professor Adewole advised youths to emulate the honest attitude of the former lecturer, saying good name is better than riches, more importantly, youths must shun get rich quick mentality

Nigerian Tribune