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As the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) rewarded Auwalu Salisu, a commercial tricycle rider, with the sum of N100,000, for returning about N15 million left in his Tricycle by a passenger in Kano State, he has cried out that he was mocked by his community for his actions.
He said most of his friends except a few see him as stupid and a person who will never be rich for returning the money, while some see him as a completely senseless person who doesn’t know what he is doing.
Salisu, a 22-year-old school dropout, had been receiving accolades and goodwill for exhibiting honesty by returning the whopping sum of money to the rightful owner on Saturday.
Speaking during the presentation of the cash gift, Dr Gwani Umar Farouk, Chairman of ACF in Kano, said they decided to honour the tricycle rider to serve as a lesson to other youths in the country.
According to Farouk, the tricyclist had exhibited the highest sense of honesty when, despite economic challenges decided to return the money to a Chadian passenger, who forgot the money in the machine.
He said “it is not about the amount, is the recognition ACF accorded to him. This boy has indeed exhibited the highest form of honesty because, despite his economic challenges, he returned the money.
“ACF would not only donate money to him but involve him in its activities to serve as a lesson and example to his friends and youths in the country,” he said.
Farouk added that the action of Auwal means there is still hope in Nigerian youths, noting that he also elevated Kano and Nigeria’s integrity in the eyes of Chad and the world at large.
Narrating the incident, the tricyclist said he carried three passengers on Thursday from Badawa to Yan Kaba motor park.
He said when they alighted and departed, as he was cleaning the machine, he discovered an object inside, adding that when he checked it, he found it was cash.
“I then rushed to our house and showed my mother. It was wads of foreign currency. My mother quickly informed my father, who also informed his elder brother.
“When they came to the house, they decided we should not announce finding the money on the radio, but wait till the owner announced it,” he narrated.
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