The day I almost signed away a man's land because of one small mistake

It was a Tuesday in 2009. A clerk brought me a file, I checked the pages, signed the entry and moved on to the next. Three weeks later the man came back shouting. His land had been transferred to another person. The signature on the deed was his own name, but he swore he never signed.

I pulled the file again. The date on the deed was a Sunday. Court registry closed on Sunday. Somebody had backdated a document and I was the one who stamped it without looking twice. The man lost that land. I still see his face sometimes. He kept saying 'Mr Registrar, na my father land' and I had nothing to tell him.

Since that day I read every date before I sign anything. The law will not save you if the person holding the pen is tired. So when you are signing any document, any paper at all, check the date first. Ask yourself if that date makes sense. What paper have you signed without reading because the person looked trustworthy?