"My Reputation": Lady Praised For Honesty After Returning Salary Sent in Error, Shares Full Story
- A Nigerian lady recently went viral after sharing how her former employer mistakenly paid her September salary, even though she had left the job a month earlier
- Despite being in urgent need of money, she returned the full amount, explaining that her conscience and personal values wouldn’t allow her to keep what wasn’t hers
- Her honesty earned her praise from the employer and thousands of social media users, who applauded her decision to protect her reputation
A Nigerian lady got people talking after her former employer sent her a massive amount of money as her salary, even though she had left the job a month prior.
She shared what she did and what she was going through before finally coming to a decision.
Source: Twitter
Lady returns salary she wasn’t owed to protect her reputation
Thousands of people have since reacted to her post on social media, with many praising her for the big move she made despite the error from her former employer.
The young lady also shared a screenshot to back up her claim and silence doubters.
According to a post on her page, @@Maggie_shugaa, on the popular social media platform X (formerly Twitter), she shared the story.
She mentioned that her previous workplace mistakenly paid her September salary, even though she left in August.
She continued by adding that, although she desperately needed the money, she chose to do the right thing.
Her statement read:
"My previous workplace mistakenly paid me Sept. salary that I didn't work for (left August). I needed that money badly! I'm still in dire need of money as I speak, but I had to return it. I contacted the hospital MD immediately. I wasn't raised to touch things that are not mine."
Source: Twitter
She added that she contacted her former workplace, requested the MD’s number, and refunded the amount.
She continued by saying that she was praised for her honesty and shared a screenshot to confirm her story:
"He acknowledged my honesty immediately, that was more than enough. My image and reputation are precious to me; I can't tarnish them. Also, my conscience wouldn't let me be."
"I was surprised at some people's comments and quotes, one even called himself not me a fool.
"I can't ruin my reputation for few thousands that will finish in 1 week."
She shared the post on social media, and not long after, many people flocked to the comment section to react.
Reactions as lady Lady returns salary she didn’t work for
@JoshuaUmoh10 stated:
"Respect."
@ThatTimboy noted:
"That was a test from God to see what you’ll do. But you’ve shown you are mature enough to discern spiritual shifts."
@rundriveng wrote:
"That’s impressive."
"Maggie , God will bless you. This is this the level of responsibility we need to emulate. Let’s not allow poverty make us let go of our morals. The moment we do we are lost as a society. kudos my colleague."
@The_DataVictor wrote:
"I got paid twice for my first salary, which was due to the fact that those we were employed together didn't validate their accounts on time, so I got paid with the older staff & the newer ones. I had to call it out immediately, which was appreciated and a reversal activated."
@Chattythoughts stated:
"I’ve done makeup for a while and there’s drama I’ve avoided simply because I don’t feel like I should keep what’s not mine. People like to drag deposits, or debate over what’s not refundable. If you ask nicely, I always refund. I didn’t work for it. What’s for me is for me."
@michaels_techie noted:
"My office mistakenly sent my salary and salary of 4 others to my account."
@Realdyone stressed:
"This happened to me during my darkest moments while working for TGI in 2023. This singular act of refund made me a friend to the HR till today, sometimes he do ask me to come for them again but now their salary is not up to what I use to fuel my car."
@diiphillipo noted:
"This oga sent me 425k twice last year, I called him to notify him and refund. Did same thing with 70k this month, even tho I was angry at him for short paying me 21k for a qoute, I still refunded his 70k."
@akunazaempire shared:
"Exactly. I transferred Back 300k send to Be By Someone I have done Business Once. Upon Say I Need Money to Complete House Rent. I Returned It. If it not mine it is Not."
@TheNurse007 said:
"You for use am carry Chelsea 2 odds next weekend nau."
@okwechianthony1 wrote:
"Daughter of a good mother. You did well. God bless you."
Speaking with Legit.ng, the young lady explained that her action was guided by integrity, honesty, personal values, and principles.
She admitted that she was under pressure at the time because she needed money to sort out her academic bills. A distance learning student at Ahmadu Bello University, she had already spent her salary on family responsibilities, being the highest earner in her household.
Although she had kept half of her school fees from the previous month, she still needed the other half. She said she believed she could reach out to family and friends for help, but the temptation was strong when she received the money.
Her statement:
“When I got that money, I felt like I need to return it immediately if not I will be tempted to use it for my school fees. Luckily for me, I have the hospital’s Medical Director number and I sent it to him immediately."
Reflecting on the experience, she noted:
“Honesty pays a lot! I mean a random person just messaged me for my account details and gave me the exact amount that I needed to complete my school fees. No matter what people say, I will remain honest.”
She also spoke about the mixed reactions online:
"I was expecting Twitter to be toxic but surprisingly they were not. It was when someone shared me the Facebook link, I was insulted by a lot of people, some called me fool, dumb, clout chaser and some even said I posted so people can give me money even when I did not know it was going to go viral."
"They made me feel like I’m well raised because why insult me for not keeping money that wasn’t mine. It says a lot about our society, we have a long way to go."
Ending with a message to others, she stressed:
“Integrity is key. Always do the right thing even if it is uncomfortable or unpopular. Be open and honest in all your dealings, it attracts good people to you. Be principled, stay focused on your values even when faced with opportunities that can compromise your values and principles. The choices you make will determine the kind of person your children will become, values are learned. Lastly, the world is a small space, always do good.”
Lawyer gets ₦20,000 sent in error back
Meanwhile, legit.ng recently reported that a Nigerian lawyer, Muhammed Adam, mistakenly sent ₦20,000 to the wrong account and later shared the experience on social media.
The lawyer received a call from a POS vendor who identified the error, confirmed the transaction, and returned the money. He recounted that he had intended to send the money to his mechanic but accidentally transferred it to a Moniepoint account he had previously used.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
