Kogi State Polytechnic has asked the State Assembly to prosecute a staff member accused of salary fraud.
The school said the employee received pay illegally and was never properly documented or screened.
The management of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, has urged the State House of Assembly to arrest and prosecute a staff member accused of involvement in a salary fraud.
According to the institution, the employee, identified as Mr. Abdul Hassan Sani, allegedly attempted to defraud the school through false claims. The call for his prosecution was made in a statement issued by the Polytechnic’s Director of Public Relations and Protocol, Uredo Omale.
Omale explained that the case stemmed from payroll irregularities dating back to 2014, several years before the current management assumed office. The issue began after Sani lodged a complaint, prompting a letter from the Office of the Auditor General in August 2021, asking the Polytechnic to clarify why his name was removed from the payroll.
In response, the Registrar stated that although Sani presented an appointment letter as an Assistant Executive Officer, there was no record showing that he was documented, assigned duties, or cleared during the 2016 staff screening exercise. The Registrar also clarified that the file number Sani claimed actually belonged to a female employee who had proper documentation and screening clearance.
Despite the irregularities, the statement revealed that Sani received salaries between June 2014 and November 2015. Earlier this year, the Polytechnic was again summoned by the State House of Assembly after Sani petitioned the lawmakers, but the Registrar reportedly provided satisfactory explanations that aligned with the Auditor General’s findings.
Omale emphasized that no payroll irregularities had occurred under the present administration. Instead, she said, it was the current leadership that uncovered the past discrepancies. She commended the Assembly for its fairness and also praised the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello for introducing strict staff audits that helped eliminate payroll fraud across the state.
The management concluded by urging the State House of Assembly to order Sani’s arrest and prosecution, stressing that such action would deter others from engaging in similar fraudulent practices.
