Presidency, through the National Salaries, Incomes
and Wages Commission, has directed the Vice-
Chancellor of the Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa
State, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, to refund over payment
of salaries running into millions of naira.
The Registrar of the university, David Suowari, was
also directed to refund cumulatively the sum of N130,
692.71 per month in excess of his due salary.
The over payments were said to have been
discovered during the commission’s visit to the
institution on May 12, 2015 to carry out an inspection
of FUO’s remuneration practices vis-a-vis the extant
government’s pay policy.
The VC and the registrar were accused of
appropriating certain allowances to themselves
which were not approved by the government.
These concerns were raised in a letter from the
NSIWC to Aluko, signed for the Chairman of the
Commission by the Director of Compensation, Chike
Ogbechie.
The commission said, “The findings of the inspection
in respect of your institution (Federal University,
Otuoke) were as follow:
“The Vice-Chancellor was being paid total
emoluments of N1,970,476.76 monthly, whereas he
should not earn more than N922,810.23 if he were
paid furniture allowance en bloc earlier, or
N1,043,176.79 if he were being paid furniture
allowance.
“Much of the difference was attributed to certain
allowances which were not approved by the
government.”
In the case of the registrar, the commission said he
was being paid N130,692.71 in excess of his due
salary of N502,580.25.
The commission also said the university
disaggregated its staff salaries against the
government’s policy of pay consolidation.
The NSIWC, therefore, directed the university to stop
“the wrongful practices” and comply with relevant
rules and rates.
The commission added, “We hereby direct the vice-
chancellor and the registrar to refund the cumulative
overpayments made to them.
“You are to report to the commission in writing, your
compliance with this directive within four weeks of
this letter.”
It will be recalled that Prof. Mobolaji Aluko became
the Vice-Chancellor of the university in February
2011.
But reacting to the commission’s position, Aluko said
in a text message to our correspondent that there
was neither disaggregation of salaries nor
overpayment of salaries.
The vice-chancellor said, “Rather, pension and health
insurance allowances were due to three of us,
Diaspora Vice-Chancellors who are on Sabbatical
from our foreign universities, and co-paid monthly in
naira to us for payment to those foreign universities.
“Without that concession occurring, our own local
salaries would have been wiped out completely, and
we could not have accepted the job.”
Aluko wondered why the issue was coming up in the
fifth and final year of their tenure.
“However, the need for accountability is welcome,
and Salaries and Wages Commission will be fully
reconciled to the full facts,” the VC stated.
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