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Man Cashes Out 45-Year Worth Of Pennies, Here’s What He Got –

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He walked into the bank, rolling a dolly behind him. It squeaked and squawked as the wheels turned in pursuit. Everyone was staring at him. She looked at him in disbelief.

“How many are there?” she asked.

He’d been saving pennies he found on the street for 45 long years. He had no idea, but clearly, this would result in a fortune. Seventy-three-year-old OA Anders worked as a supervisor on the Jackson School Board. He watched over in-school suspended children and absolutely loved his job…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

The kids seemed to love him too. Anders was a family man with a loving wife and children who supported his every move, even though one particular hobby of his raised a few eyebrows. What began as something fun turned into a full-blown obsession and an all-consuming hobby.

“I became convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an additional God-given incentive, reminding me to always be thankful,” said Anders. “There have been days where I failed to pray, and more often than not, a lost or dropped penny would show up to remind me.”

Where many people think of wishing on a penny, OA Anders thinks of praying on a penny. He had always been a religious man, and his faith had grown stronger as the years passed. His faith was how his penny obsession all started. He looked at lost old pennies on the floor as his very own personal gift from God. Little did he know just how many gifts he was going to receive.

When Anders picked up his very first penny, he had no idea that he’d continue picking them up for 45 years. But once his penny pile began to grow, he became more and more obsessed. So compelling was his idea that pennies represented a God-given gift that he ultimately decided to stop spending pennies himself. Every penny he had, he kept. But that’s not all.

He also always made sure that whenever he made a purchase with cash, his change contained at least three to four pennies. To him, it was a small and simple quirky habit, but over time it didn’t look so small anymore. All of his friends and family got so used to him behaving this way around pennies that they didn’t even see it as odd anymore. But the amount he eventually managed to collect was staggering.

“I would never spend a penny,” Anders said. “I would break a dollar before giving up a penny.”

He was a man on a mission, and when his students at school found out about his strange fascination, they wanted to help. They’d often come to his class with a handful of pennies to give to him. But Anders had principles.

“I never allowed anyone, not even my wife nor children, to give me pennies without being compensated,” he said.

So he paid them for pennies. Anders continued to collect his pennies for 45 years until he successfully filled 15 five-gallon plastic water jugs. There were simply too many to count, so Anders could only guess that his collection contained hundreds of thousands of pennies, but really, he had no idea. But now he was about to find out.

As the years passed, Anders continued to collect his pennies until he successfully filled 15 five-gallon plastic water jugs with nothing but pennies. He would have continued to keep them and collect more if it wasn’t for one problem that he encountered when he renewed his home affairs. It was a problem that left him devastated. If Anders had it his way, he would have kept his collection and continued to pick up pennies for many years to come.

But life would throw him a curveball. Since Anders could have collected a small fortune, he made it a point to have his collection covered under his house insurance. But when he renewed it, they turned him away. And they weren’t the only establishment to do so. Anders’ new home insurance didn’t cover his penny collection, so he reluctantly decided it was time to visit the bank and cash in his most prized possession.

Anders had no idea how much money his collection would amount to, but as he speculated, he remembered reading about a coin collection that resulted in a fortune for the owner. Although Anders’ collection contained mostly modern pennies, it’s crazy to think that if he held on to those coins long enough, they’d soon bring him a fortune as big as a million dollars. That’s what happened to the owner of a 1943 S Lincoln Wheat Penny. An error in the coin made it extremely valuable, and its value could only keep growing over time. But why?

It has long been said that time is the most valuable commodity. That’s especially true when it comes to coins. But only certain kinds of coins. Specifically, coins made of precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and even copper fluctuate in value over time but generally become more valuable. The same with coins that hold an error. However, that’s not true for all coins. Coins made of base metals, such as aluminum, have very little worth. Their worth is even less still if the government issuing the coins no longer exists. But what about Anders’ coins? Which side of value did they fall under?

Although Anders didn’t have time on his side, he did have volume. And with hundreds of thousands of coins, perhaps one had a valuable error. To get the pennies to the Ruston or Regions Bank in Ruston, LA, Anders needed help. He ended up getting a couple of his friends to help move the five-gallon jugs full of pennies into his truck and then into the bank. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

They were much heavier than you’d think, and not to mention there were 15 of them. The bank employees looked at Anders rolling his containers in on dollies and stared at him in utter confusion. Their eyes popped as they took in the sight of the sheer amount of pennies. Anders worried they would turn him away. He approached the questionable expression behind the desk and asked them to cash his pennies in.

“How many?” the woman asked.

Bank Vice President Jenny Cole told reporters that it was not a typical day at the bank when Anders rolled in with his collection of pennies on a dolly.

“I’m not sure exactly,” Anders said. “I would guesstimate about half a million pennies.”

The woman stared at him in disbelief.

“And you think we have the time to count half a million pennies for you?” she laughed.

Anders sheepishly laughed with her before pleading to her again.

“I know it’s a crazy amount, but this is a dear collection of mine that I need to cash out. Believe me, if I had it my way, I’d keep these pennies forever.”

The woman gave Anders a long look before calling her manager. How would they be able to count all these pennies? But when they finally did, the actual amount Anders had saved all these years was incredible. When the manager walked out to see who was causing all the ruckus, his face lit up at the sight of Anders. As it turns out, he knew Anders quite well. Anders was a longtime loyal customer who never gave them any problems, so immediately, the manager wanted to help him.

“We value his business as we do all of our customers,” he said. “But if we can help Anders with his endeavors, we are happy to do so.”

Anders and his friends hauled in the containers one by one. Employees gathered to see the first five-gallon container being counted. It was by far the most exciting thing that had happened at the bank in a while. The plastic jugs were hacked open by an axe and hammer. It took at least five hours to process his pennies through a coin counting machine until the sum was revealed.

Anders saved up an incredible $5,136.14 through collecting pennies for 45 years. For anyone who’s trying to work it out, that’s $114.14 per year Anders was able to collect by picking up dirty old pennies left forgotten on the side of a street.

But what was he going to do with his saved money? Anders was able to put his money to good use and spend it on a dental bill that had just been issued to him. It was a happy coincidence that he found himself with more money just as an expensive bill landed in his lap. But he still had some cash left over, which he put towards a family trip and church donations.

Anders collected pennies not as a sign of greed but as a symbol of faith that he was being looked after by the man upstairs, the universe, the penny gods, or whatever you might believe in. His quirky hobby turned out to be a brilliant reminder of how much little things matter.

Who would have thought a penny a day could someday bring you $5,000? It seems like Anders’ steady patience and consistent well-wishing have paid off for him. The extra bonus of income came just in time for him to pay a medical bill. It is said that the world works in mysterious ways, and for OA Anders and the result of his penny collection, that motto is certainly true.

 

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Leaked Video Of Gen. Diya Crying And Begging Late General Sani Abacha

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Gen. Diya was crossed examined at the Human Rights Violation Commission (HRVIC) on the coup plan 1997 to overthrow Gen. Sanni Abacha, He bluntly denied the fact that he was part of the plan but he admitted he knew about the plan. He further explained that he was afraid of being killed by the Coup Master Planner if he revealed the plan.

He denied pleading with Gen. Sanni Abacha but was shocked to see the video where he truly knelt down before Gen. Sanni Abacha as tendered by the Lawyer…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Gen. Diya Oladipo then was appointed as Chief of Defense Staff. He was appointed Chief of General Staff in 1993 and Vice Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council in 1994. In 1997 Diya and dissident soldiers in the military allegedly planned to overthrow the regime of Sani Abacha. The alleged coup was uncovered by forces loyal to Abacha, and Diya and his cohorts were jailed. Diya was tried in a military tribunal, and was given the death penalty. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

 

 

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July 29 In Nigerian History: Aguiyi-Ironsi And Fajuyi Assassinated In Ibadan

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Aguiyi-Ironsi (L) and Adekunle Fajuyi (R)

Nigeria has seen the rise and fall of many military regimes since she became a sovereign state in 1960 and this, at every turn, has altered the direction of the country.

A second coup since independence which happened on July 29, 1966, would see to the brutal death of Nigeria’s Supreme Commander, General J.T.C Aguiyi-Ironsi (the nation’s 1st military head of state) and his friend, Lieutenant Colonel Francis Adekunle Fajuyi, who was the sitting and 1st Military Governor of the Western Region…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Aguiyi-Ironsi was a guest at the Government House, Ibadan, as he came to hold a meeting with traditional rulers in the Western region. Ironsi arrived Ibadan the previous day and unknowingly, he met his death during the counter-coup which is generally believed to be a retaliation to the January 15th 1966 coup in which prominent Northerners in power were killed.

The Northerners were believed to hold a grudge since the first coup as they lost leaders including Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (Nigerian Prime Minister) and Sir Ahmadu Bello (Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern Region). They tagged it an ‘Igbo Coup’ as no Eastern casualty was recorded in both the military and public service as even the West lost Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola in the coup. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

This counter-coup of July 29, 1966, led by General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma was tagged the bloodiest coup by many in the history of Nigeria. Ironsi and Fajuyi’s death which still remains a controversial debate among historians because how they were killed isn’t clear but both bodies were found in a bush in outskirts of Ibadan. Read a comprehensive account of how Aguiyi-Ironsi was killed here.

Aside from the Head of State and Western Military governor, many other casualties were recorded in the army and most killed or maimed were Easterners, particularly Igbos. This will be one of the many reasons the country would go into a civil war the following year as the Eastern region tried seceding.

54 years after, we remember this gruesome act done in the Brown Roof City and how much has happened or changed since then.

 

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This Is Why An American Magazine Labelled Sani Abacha as “Thug of the Year” In 1995

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General Sani Abacha is perhaps Nigeria’s most enigmatic head of state. He reigned from 1993 until his death in 1998. General Abacha was born in Kano state, northern Nigeria on September 20, 1943. He hails from Kanuri in Borno state.

He passed out of the Nigerian Military Training Centre in Kaduna where he proceeded to Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England before being commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in 1963.

He is held by some as Nigeria’s most successful coup plotter. When he was still a Second Lieutenant with the 3rd Battalion in Kaduna, he took part in the July 1966 Nigerian counter-coup from the conceptual stage. He could well have been a participant in the Lagos or Abeokuta phases of the coup the previous January as well…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Abacha fought for Nigeria in the country’s civil war against Biafran secessionists continuing to rise through the army ranks.

He was instrumental in the 1983 Nigerian coup d’état which brought General Muhammadu Buhari to power as well as the August 1985 coup which removed him from power. He announced the coup which removed the government of Shehu Shagari.

When General Ibrahim Babangida was named President of Nigeria in 1985, Abacha was named Chief of Army Staff. He was appointed Minister of Defence in 1990. With Babangida’s resignation, an interim government headed by civilian President, Ernest Shonekan was formed.

Sani Abacha became the first Nigerian soldier to attain the rank of a full General without skipping a single rank in 1993. In the same year, he moved for the ultimate.

Shonekan resigned and transferred power to Sani Abacha in a move widely believed to be another bloodless coup. In September 1994, he issued a decree that placed his government above the jurisdiction of the courts, effectively giving him absolute power. Another decree gave him the right to detain anyone for up to three months without trial.

General Sani Abacha

Abacha is noted for helping restore peace and democracy to Sierra Leone and Liberia after the civil wars.

On his administration of the Nigerian state proper, he established The Petroleum Trust Fund aimed to address major economic issues facing the country at the time. Between 25-100km of urban road in major cities such as Kano, Gusau, Benin, Funtua, Zaria, Enugu, Kaduna, Aba, Lagos, Lokoja, and Port Harcourt was planned to be constructed each. A N27.3bn contract was awarded for road rehabilitation in the first quarter of 1996.

There was a restructuring of major insurance companies that supported SMEs across the entire country.

Abacha mandated the PTF to publicise its accounts as it was the second-largest public corporation at the time. In 1997, the account of PTF showed that it disbursed N24.3bn on roads, N21.2bn on security, N7.8bn on health, and N3bn on other projects. Other disbursements include N2.2bn on water supply, N936m on food supply and N476m on education. It realized a total of N1.049bn from various investment activities.

It’s curious the sums which emerged after his death that he stashed in overseas accounts as the Abacha administration became the first to record unprecedented economic achievements overseeing an increase in the country’s foreign exchange reserves from $494 million in 1993 to $9.6 billion by the middle of 1997. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

He also reduced the external debt of Nigeria from $36 billion in 1993 to $27 billion by 1997. His Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund is also hailed for infrastructural projects and interventionist programmes in education, water and health.

His wife is credited with setting up the National Hospital in Abuja viewed as Nigeria’s foremost national hospital, which was initially set up as a hospital for women and children before its upgrade.

Nonetheless, Abacha was ruthless with groups he considered hostile to his administration between 1993 and 1998. There was a crackdown on the civil rights groups, media and pro-democracy groups.

It was also under him that Nigeria became a perpetual importer of petroleum products as the refineries packed up. The emergence of the ‘foul fuel’ which damaged car engines and released a repugnant smell was in his time.

General Sani Abacha earned the title ‘Thug of the Year’ from Time magazine in 1995 after the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa. Abacha developed the habit of working only at night. Availing himself to be seen publicly rarely while being averse to granting interviews.

The events of his death on June 8, 1998, at the presidential villa in Abuja are murky and while the official account is that he suffered a heart attack, other accounts say he was in the company of two Indian sex workers flown in from Dubai when he died. He was buried on the same day, according to Muslim tradition, without an autopsy. This fueled speculation that he may have been murdered by political rivals via poison.

Foreign diplomats, including United States Intelligence analysts, believed that his drink or fruit (apple) was laced with a poisonous substance while in the company of prostitutes.

Abacha was married to Maryam Abacha with whom he had had seven sons and three daughters.

In March 2014, the United States Department of Justice revealed that it had frozen more than $458 million believed to have been illegally obtained by Abacha and other corrupt officials.

On 7 August 2014, the United States Department of Justice announced the largest forfeiture in its history: the return of $480 million to the Nigerian government.

Stashed sums in other accounts have been discovered with the Nigerian government working to have the funds returned.

 

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