People gave me funny ideas when I found missing bag –Guard honoured for honesty

Achi Daniels is the junior guard who was honoured for returning a missing bag containing valuables at the multi level car park at the Murta...

Achi Daniels is the junior guard who was honoured for returning a missing bag containing valuables at the multi level car park at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. He tells Timileyin Akinkahunsi during a brief chat what the honour means to him The popular perception about Nigerians is that it is rare to find honest people around, so people might want to know more about you. I am Achi Daniels from Delta State. I was born in 1968 and I just clocked 50 in the month of June 2018. I am a security guard. Of course, I am a Nigerian. You may be right that people think every Nigerian is a rogue but I am a proud Nigerian that was brought up to be upright. Are you married? I was a married man. I lost my wife during child delivery but the child survived. I have four children, a girl and three boys. How did you get this job? I was working with a hotel as a steward but after sometime, they had to pay us off, so I lost the job. After that, someone in my church told me about security guard vacancy positions at Halogen security company. I applied and went for the interview in Palmgroove and after I passed the interview, I was employed and deployed to work at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. How long have you been working with Halogen? I have been working with the company for over a year. How did your family members and colleagues react to the news that you returned a bag that contained valuables? Most of them appreciated me and said that God would reward me, but some of them felt a bit disappointed; they would not understand how a security guard like me would find something that could change my living condition for the better and yet, I chose to turn it over. They asked me if I wanted to remain poor but I answered them that if that is the will of God, there is no regret. It is not in my character to take what does not belong to me. People really gave all sorts of funny ideas but I decided to do what was right. The way I was brought up, material things are secondary after a good name. My family members are happy with me because I have brought prestige and honour to our family name. What was the first thing that struck your mind when you saw the missing bag? My spirit just told me to take the bag because the contents might be valuable and I moved straight and I took it to my superior downstairs. Immediately I saw him, I handed it over to him. I thanked God the bag got into the right hands instead of louts and thieves. Did you expect to be honoured like this? I did not expect this type of honour at all. In fact, I have been so overwhelmed with this unexpected honour but I am grateful. If you were to save up your salary, how many months salary would you have to save up to get the amount kept in the recovered bag? I cannot estimate it because I didn’t know the actual value of the foreign currency in the bag. It did not even cross my mind because I knew the bag and whatever might be inside did not belong to me. As I said, my concern was that the bag belonged to someone who must feel pained for losing it. What prompted you to return the bag? I believe in self discipline and the law of karma that what goes around comes around. I would have no joy in me if I didn’t return the bag. If I went away with the bag, the President won’t recognise me today. My family is happy with the fact that I have brought glory to their name. Of course, I may not be rich in monetary terms, I don’t lust after what does not belong to me. Have there been days that you have been frustrated on the job? I never thought I would end up as a security man, but since I lost my job, I just had to find something to do because I cannot afford to be idle. There were days I’ve been stressed out because the job of a security man is stressful; it is not easy to stand for hours. So you have actually contemplated quitting the job? Before I became a security man, I used to think it was a very easy job to do but it is not as easy as it looks. It is quite challenging to stand for a long time but it never crossed my mind to quit; I am dedicated to my job because I have to fend for my children. The president appreciated your effort but if he should give you a blank cheque, what would you tell him to do for you? If President Buhari asked me to mention what he could do for me to appreciate what I did, I would tell him to give my children scholarship first and any other assistance. So if he can do that for me, I will be very happy. What were your childhood aspirations? I always wanted to be an engineer as a child, but because of the situation of things and my age, I don’t know if it is still achievable. How did your children react? They were impressed by my action and they prayed for me.