Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has hailed a Nigerian, Michael Asemota, for returning QR1,502,000 ($441,127.99) about N150 million wrongfully posted into his account in Qatar.
Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Special Assistant on Media to Abike Dabiri-Erewa said in a statement that the SSA gave the commendation when she received Asemota in her office on Wednesday in Abuja.
The SSA said that such a rare display of honesty and sincerity from a Nigerian in the Diaspora had given the country as other Nigerians living in Qatar a good image.
She urged Asemota to continue to be a good ambassador of Nigeria and implore other Nigerians in the Diaspora to emulate the positive image he has given to Nigeria in Qatar.
“With this exceptional act of honesty, you have given a positive image to Nigerians and Nigeria in Qatar, and indeed, world over.
“We are truly proud of you and urge you to continue to extol the virtues and strength of the Nigerian heritage of honesty, integrity and honour.
“Your shining beacon serves as inspiration to the Youth of Nigeria,” Dabiri-Erewa stated in a letter of commendation personally signed by her and given to Asemota.
Asemota, a native of Edo state but based in Doha, Qatar, had opened an account with a cheque of QR150, 200 with an undisclosed commercial bank, where he is the sole signatory of the account.
“I got back home, I received an alert showing that a QR1,502,000 had been credited into my account by mistake instead of QR150,200.
“I went to see the manager to report the error of QR1, 502,000 deposited into my account. After checking for confirmation, the manager gave me a warm handshake in appreciation,” he said.
Asked why he alerted the bank about the error, Asemota said: “I knew the money did not belong to me and should not be in my account in the first place, so there were no motives and temptations to keep it.”
He said the singular act had given Nigeria and Nigerians positive image in Qatar in the midst of bad stories of Nigeria emanating from the country.
Asemota is an official of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation-Qatar (NIDO-Qatar), the umbrella body of Nigerian residents in the country.
