CLEANER SURRENDERS N16M: NAHCO’s Nurturing A Workforce of Integrity Keepers

NAHCO HEROES: (L-R) Sule, surrendered iPhone, Auwal Dankode, primus inter pares, surrendered N16m, Azees Oyeniyi, surrendered Galaxy Tab

A staff of the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO, Plc, Mr. Auwal Dankode, on Wednesday 28th August 2024, lived up beyond expectations, taking cognizance of the magnitude of temptation that confronted him on that fateful day.

Auwal is a trained aircraft cleaner. He was employed by Nahco on 19th February 2019, in Kano, Kano State. On the fateful Wednesday, he was on duty, and with the safe landing of a jet, an MS 878, which, after the disembarkation of its occupants, Auwal was assigned to clean the aircraft ready for its return flight. This he had to do with speed and accuracy in strict compliance with the turn-around timeline of his employer

The aircraft, an MS 878 Jet operated by Egypt Air, was being rendered ground services by Nahco Plc. The safely parked jet at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA, Kano, was accessed by Auwal Dankode, and he swung into action doing what best he knows how to do.

In the course of cleaning, on getting to the passenger seat number 25H, Auwal found wands of notes in different denominations but were all in United States Dollar (USD) currency, neatly tucked in a cellophane envelope. The total sum was $10, 000 USD. Auwal said he did not give room for second thoughts. The spontaneous directive that first flashed through his mind, which told him, “this is straight for my Supervisor or the Station Manager”, was what he eventually complied with after looking out for his colleague in vain and a call to his supervisor without success. He promptly turned the money over to the Airline Station Manager.

**Left is Auwal Dankode, in a warm embrace of Mr Indranil Gupta, Group Managing Director of NAHCO Plc, at the reception where Auwal was bestowed Brand Ambassador for NAHCO**

By that act of honesty, without prompting from anyone but from his God-fearing conscience, the management of NAHCO Plc also rightly thought it fit to honour that act of integrity and honesty.
Hence, over the weekend, the management conferred the company’s ambassadorial status on the lowly cleaner but with a giant height in character.

At the reception to honour, reward, and award Auwal official recognition for his act of genuine and unpretentious honesty, the Nahco aviance Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, MD/CEO, Mr Indranil Gupta, said the conduct of Auwal reflected a positive outcome of the company investment in moral and operational training impacted on the entire workforce.

The Group MD announced a handsome cash reward, instant promotion and appointment as NAHCO Brand Ambassador.

Gupta enthused, “We are truly proud of the exemplary character exhibited by Auwal. He is a true NAHCO ambassador and an embodiment of what NAHCO stands for, honesty, integrity, diligence and hard work,” he said.

According to the media statement from Nahco, signed by Tayo Ajakaiye, Head of Corporate Communications, the Chief Operating Officer, COO, Mr Didier Steullet, advised thus: “What you have done is very good. You’re the example not only of the week but probably for the year. My only recommendation is that please keep going on the same way”.

The statement also quoted words of encouragement from the Chief Financial Officer, CFO, Mr. Adeoye Emiloju, who said of Auwal Dankode’s exhibition of high integrity, “The integrity you’ve displayed is not something that anyone can pretend to have. You’ve shown that it is something that is innate to you,” Emiloju pointed out.

The statement added that the Group Executive Director, Dr. Sola Obabori also gave words of exhortation saying, “You’ve become a poster boy of NAHCO not only in Nigeria but all over the world because the internet makes things global. You have done something that makes us proud. In today’s Nigeria, where the value of the dollar is so very high, by returning so many of them, you’ve done something commendable”.

ADDENDUM: A REMINDER OF SIMILAR ACTS THOUGH OF LOWER MAGNITUDE
Taking a cue from the comment of the Group CEO, at the reception for Auwal last Friday, he pointed out that most of NAHCO’s staff exhibit these values in their everyday work in the Company.

Hence, it can be recalled about ten months ago, or succinctly put, by the last quarter of last year 2023 two workers of Nahco, in the same cadre with Auwal Dankode, in their own modest ways, exhibited acts of integrity while discharging their tasks-

On 29th October 2023, an aircraft cleaner with Nahco, Mr Sule, found an iPhone on a VS flight cabin, on seat 36C. Sule promptly handed the iPhone over to the airline’s security officer.

The primus inter pares among the heroes, Auwal Dankode, middle, was celebrated by the management of NAHCO Plc. L-R: Mr Adeoye Emiloju, Chief Finance Officer, Mr Indranil Gupta, GMD/CEO, NAHCO Brand Ambassador, Auwal Dankode; Mr Didier Steullet, COO, and Dr Sola Obabori, GED,

Just barely a week after, on 5th November 2023, another cleaner, Mr Oyeniyi Azeez, while diligently discharging his cleaning service in an Ethiopia airline cabin, Azees found a Galaxy Tab on the very same seat, number 36C.

Oyeniyi Azeez opted to follow through the company’s stipulated procedure when such materials are found in any aircraft cabin.

He called the attention of his superior officer to his finding and handed the item promptly to his manager for formal transmission to the airline’s management.

According to the report posted on Nahco’s Facebook page, it was stated that the outcome of those forgotten items found and surrendered was exactly, “the NAHCO way!.” This means the cleaners complied with organizational directives on how items left behind or forgotten in the aircraft cabin should be handled

Ajakaiye highlighted a few of the expectations from the company ambassador thus, “as a brand ambassador, Auwal Dankode, would grace all NAHCO major events anywhere in the country, promote its brand and have the chance to travel and interact with top officials and stakeholders of the Company”.