From Ogbonnaya Ndukwe, Aba
Indications emerged that there are still good and kind-spirited Nigerians in different spheres of society, regardless of the daunting economic crunch.
A commercial tricycle operator, also referred to as Keke, in Aba, Abia State, last Thursday, etched his name in the hall of fame after he returned cash of N4 million left by a passenger he had transported earlier.
The Keke operator, Lucky Okoro, alias Onye Photo, had that morning lifted a woman who was identified as a Cameroonian from the Aba City Centre to the popular Ariaria International Market, where she disembarked.
He was later to notice a bag left in his Keke and on close observation found that it contained N4 million, which some of his colleagues that got wind of advised him to keep even as he was said to be contemplating buying a new tricycle to replace the old one he was using.
On the contrary and not having any of such advice from his colleagues, Okoro began a routine return to the market in search of the passenger he had dropped earlier.
He was happy to find a sobbing female trader within the market entrance and, on enquiry, recognised her as the passenger he had lifted earlier and on, further confirmation, returned the N4 million to her.
Okoro was later to confirm that the woman had come to Aba from the Republic of Cameroon to buy goods for sale on return to her country. It was further confirmed that the journey was her first business trip to Aba.
Expressing joy on finding the owner of the forgotten money, Okoro, a native of Umuomei, in Obingwa Council Area, said he was happy on the action he took despite advice on the contrary from some of his colleagues: “I have always prayed to be upright, not coveting what does not belong to me. I had to make trips to Ariaria, to find the woman who I was sure could have been the owner and I am glad I did.”
Some Aba residents that heard his story poured encomiums, commending him for the godly act and praying that he be rewarded favourably by God and mankind.
An interstate transporter in Aba, Julius Iwuala told Daily Sun that the likes of Okoro were hard to find: “He’s a rare breed; it’s difficult to find people like him in these hard times. Yet, he found N4million and returned it to the owner.
“May God open doors for him because of his good heart.”