Concerns as committee uncovers alleged N500m fraud at Delta Polytechnic 

There is growing concern over the uncovering of an alleged N500 million fraud at Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, in Aniocha South Local Council of Delta State.

The Guardian learnt that the alleged fraudulent activities were exposed by a nine-man audit and verification committee chaired by Chika Ogonwa following a thorough investigation.

After conducting thorough inquiries supported by evidence from staff across various departments, the committee submitted its findings to the chairman of the institution’s governing council, Paul Adingwupu.

Inaugurated by Adingwupu on Monday, August 19, 2024, the committee was tasked with verifying and authenticating the certificates and credentials of staff, assessing their attendance records, and addressing other related concerns.

It was revealed that since October 2024, when the committee submitted its report, there has been a standoff between the governing council and the school’s management.

The Guardian learnt that the committee’s report disclosed significant discrepancies in staff employment records. According to the report, the analysis of the physical verification of staff, as provided by heads of departments and unit heads, revealed that the number of ad hoc staff stood at 357 in July 2023. However, this figure increased to 421 by December 2023, with an additional 64 staff employed. By August 2024, the number had risen to 571, reflecting 214 ad hoc staff employment within a year.

The report also highlighted cases of duplicate payments on the ad hoc payroll. For instance, payroll serial number 433 was used to pay an individual named Obuluku Pennsylvania in April 2024. In May 2024, the same individual received payments twice under serial numbers 433 and 465. Similarly, in May 2024, Olomu Deborah Ujiro was paid twice, using serial numbers 439 and 485. Additionally, Okocha Adanma and Ogundipe Kome, listed as domestic servants and attached to the Registrar and the Bursar, had been on the payroll since April 2024.

The report noted that the designation of “domestic servant” does not exist in the teaching or non-teaching cadres at the Polytechnic. It also identified irregular staff employment under questionable titles, such as a personal assistant and a driver for the former governing council chairman, listed under serial numbers 148 and 403. The committee found that the office of personal assistant is not recognised as a designation in the Polytechnic, and these individuals, despite receiving monthly salaries, had been absent from duty since December 2023.

Following its findings, the audit committee recommended the immediate termination of the appointments of the driver and personal assistant, alongside a refund of their salaries from January 2024

The committee’s report, signed by its chairman, Chika Ogonwa, and eight other members, revealed further irregularities, including staff travelling overseas without government or governing council approval, retired personnel, and even deceased individuals who remained on the government payroll, receiving monthly salaries.

The report also implicated some individuals appointed as Special Assistants to the governor. Disturbed by these revelations, the committee urged the governing council to prioritise certificate verification of staff as a special project. It expressed concern over the absence of 53 government payroll staff and 67 ad hoc staff during physical verification and data-capturing exercises.

When contacted, the institution’s governing council chairman, Adingwupu, declined comment, while Ogonwa, said, “Please, I am not authorised to speak on any issue concerning the Polytechnic. Meet the Rector. Thank you.”

The Rector, Emmanuel Achuenu, denied the report, saying, “We have addressed that matter. We have told people that nobody outside the school system is receiving salaries. We have responded to their report. All of us are supposed to work on the report.
I don’t know why they are making it look like an independent thing.”