Hayatu Ismail Garkuwa, a Traffic Control Officer with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) was the cynosure at the quarterly town hall meeting of the corporation as he was recognised for returning a passenger’s wallet containing $700 and other items.

He was honoured yesterday with an award for “Integrity and Exemplary Display of Honesty” during the meeting held at NRC headquarters in Lagos.

Other members of staff were also recognised and rewarded for their hard work during the just concluded presidential train ride.

The Acting Managing Director of the NRC, Mr Ben Iloanusi, presented the award to Ismail Garkuwa and other members of staff.

Garkuwa had on December 28, 2024 found the wallet inside one of the waiting rooms at the Abuja-Kaduna Train Station, Rigasa and handed it over to his superior officers.

It was learnt that the wallet contained $700, some naira notes and ATM cards.

Asked why he returned the wallet, Garkuwa, who is an indigene of Zamfara, said his parents taught him not to take what does not belong to him.

He stated that his conscience would not allow him to rest, saying he did not think twice before handing the wallet to the management which contacted the owner.

At the town hall meeting where the acting managing director unveiled his strategic plan for improved, safe and efficient train services for Nigerians, Garkuwa was presented with a certificate, a cash token as well as a gift time.

He also got recognition from the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the NRC as an anti-corruption ambassador while the Nigerian Union of Railway Workers (NUR) also promised to honour the staff for his exemplary conduct.

The acting MD urged all members of staff to emulate the exemplary conduct of the staff, saying it pays to be good.

He stated that the quarterly town hall meeting, being the first in the year, was an opportunity to appraise the performance of members of staff during the free train ride, disclosing that over 260,000 passengers were conveyed during the session.