Senate orders Navy to compensate dismissed officer, approves dismissal

The Nigerian Senate has directed the Nigerian Navy to calculate and pay the salaries and allowances owed to Officer Ewato Flaubert Oluwadolapo, who was dismissed for establishing an illegal roadblock.

However, the Senate upheld his dismissal, stating that it serves as a necessary deterrent to other officers against similar misconduct.

This resolution followed the presentation of a report by Senator Neda Imasuen (LP, Edo South), who chairs the Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions. Oluwadolapo’s petition alleged wrongful dismissal without a fair hearing and the non-payment of his salaries and allowances after returning from being Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL).

Senator Imasuen recounted that on July 20, 2023, Senator Abiru M. Adetokunbo brought the case to the Senate’s attention, prompting an investigation into the matter.

Key findings from the committee’s report revealed that Oluwadolapo served in the Nigerian Navy from January 2013 until his dismissal was confirmed on June 16, 2022.

The report read, “He committed several infractions, including being AWOL for over a year, neglecting his duties, and mounting an illegal roadblock on the Lokoja-Abuja Road, where he extorted money from motorists.

“After returning to duty, he was demoted from the rank of Seaman to Ordinary Seaman but did not receive any salary from the time of his demotion until his dismissal.

“The committee noted that Oluwadolapo confessed in writing to abandoning his duty and setting up the illegal roadblock due to financial difficulties.”

While the Senate directed that Oluwadolapo be compensated for his unpaid salaries from June 27, 2021, when he returned from AWOL, until the confirmation of his dismissal, it emphasised that the decision to dismiss him was justified, given the severity of his actions.

“This case underscores the Senate’s commitment to maintaining discipline within the Nigerian Navy while also addressing the rights of service members regarding their entitlements.”