Govt gifts woman N500,000 for returning money mistakenly credited

The Katsina State Government has rewarded Malama Amina Abdulkadir-Yanmama with N500,000 for her exemplary honesty in returning N748,320 mistakenly credited to her account.

The funds were intended for the Federal Government’s Home Grown School Feeding Programme in the state.

The recognition was announced on Tuesday by Dr. Mudassir Nasir, the Executive Director of the Katsina State Social Investment Programme Agency (KASIPA), during a ceremony to present the reward.

Narrating the incident, Nasir revealed that Abdulkadir-Yanmama received a bank alert indicating payment for vendors providing free meals to primary school pupils. Realizing she was neither a registered vendor nor part of the programme, she promptly reported the matter to the KASIPA office.

“We requested her bank statement, and after thorough verification by the Auditor-General’s office, it was confirmed that her claim was genuine,” Nasir said.

Impressed by her integrity, Governor Dikko Radda directed that Abdulkadir-Yanmama be rewarded with N500,000, a commendation letter, and an offer to participate in the next school feeding programme.

In his remarks, the state’s Auditor-General, Alhaji Anas Tukur-Abdulkadir, praised Abdulkadir-Yanmama, emphasizing that she deserved even greater recognition for her honesty.

Responding, Abdulkadir-Yanmama expressed gratitude to the governor and KASIPA for the honor. “I knew I had to return the money because it doesn’t belong to me,” she said.

The governor also used the opportunity to urge citizens to emulate her act of integrity, noting that honesty remains a cornerstone of societal progress.