A woman, Malama Abdulkadir-Yanmama, received a N500,000 reward from the Katsina State government on Tuesday, December 17, for her honesty in returning N748,320 mistakenly sent to her bank account. The funds were intended for the Federal Government’s Home Grown School Feeding Programme.
The reward was presented by the Executive Director of the Katsina State Social Investment Programme Agency, Mudassir Nasir, who commended Abdulkadir-Yanmama’s integrity.
Nasir explained that the money was meant for vendors providing meals to primary school pupils. Upon receiving the funds, Abdulkadir-Yanmama promptly reported the transaction to the agency, stating that she was not a registered vendor under the program.
“We requested her bank statement and verified through the auditor-general’s office that her claim was truthful,” Nasir said.
Following the verification, Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda directed that Abdulkadir-Yanmama be rewarded for her honesty. In addition to the N500,000 reward, she was given a commendation letter and invited to participate in the next school feeding program.
Expressing her gratitude, Abdulkadir-Yanmama said, “I knew that I had to return the money because it doesn’t belong to me.” She also thanked the governor and the school feeding program management for their support and recognition.
This act of integrity has been widely praised as a model for ethical behavior in public service and personal conduct.
