Court reinstates bursar as YABATECH alleged fraud gets messier

Relief has come the way of the suspended bursar of the Yaba College of Technology, Mr. Olu Ibirogba, as the National Industrial Court sitting in Lagos has reinstated him in office.

The court presided over by Justice B. B. Kanyip, on July 1, declared that the suspension of Ibirogba by the authorities of the school was unlawful as well as null and void.



The authorities of the school, on October 7, 2013, had suspended the bursar via a letter referenced AD/R/S/S.1951/248, alleging that he was involved, among others, in unauthorised disclosure of official information, violation of oath of secrecy, divided loyalty and other acts unbecoming of a public officer.

Mr. G.A Ogunsanwo, on behalf of the school Registrar, Mrs. Biekoroma Amapakabio, signed Ibirogba’s suspension letter.

Ibirogba had dragged the authorities of the school to the court demanding reinstatement and payment of his salaries and allowances.

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Kanyip granted Ibirogba a majority of his reliefs as well as the payment of N250, 000 general damages.

The court also ordered the payment of the backlog of his salaries and allowances within 30 days of the judgment.

Justice Kanyip added, “In the first place, in granting reliefs 1-5, the claimant thereby is entitled to return to his work as if he was never suspended with his right to salary, allowances and perquisites of office intact. The claimant has been suspended because he informed on the college to persons who petitioned the EFCC. Having similarly found the suspension to be unreasonable and unjustified and hence mala fide, unlawful and unfair labour practice, I equally award the sum of N250, 000 only as general damages against the defendant in favour of the claimant.”

Meanwhile, Ibirogba and other eight sacked workers of the school have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to direct anti-graft agencies as well as the Federal Ministry of Education to commence detailed investigation into the allegations of corruption preferred against the Rector, Dr. Kudirat Ladipo, and members of the college Governing Council.

In fresh allegations of fraud against the authorities of the school, the sacked workers claimed that the college lost not less than N10m in an attempt to investigate the corruption charges against the rector.

According to the petitioner, the rector approved excess/illegal allowances for the council committee members that investigated the allegation of corruption preferred against her.

They noted, for instance, that instead of approving N160, 000 and N120, 000 for the 27 days sitting allowance for chairman and members of the committee respectively, the rector approved N1,080, 000 and N810,000.

In other words, while the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Shehu Kagara, allegedly received excess allowance of N920, 000, the other four members allegedly got excess of N690,000 each.

The extant rules and regulations, as captured in a 2010 revised circular by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, demand that while sitting allowance for chairman is N40, 000 per week, that of members is N30,000 per week.

They also alleged that each member of the committee received Duty Tour Allowances of N20, 000 per day even as the school authorities provided them accommodation. Besides, they alleged that the committee expended N1.9m to go and write the report of its findings in Abuja.

They also accused the management of spending over N35m during the college’s 28th convocation in 2013. Ibirogba and co alleged that the college authorities not only engaged in contract splitting and inflation but also breached approved Federal Government competitive procurement methods.

According to them, the authorities of the college reportedly did not advertise in at least two national newspapers and government journals as required by the extant rules.

The petitioners also alleged that the authorities of the college spent over N11.272m for venue and accommodation in a Lagos suburb hotel for a two-day retreat for the Governing Council members and principal officers of the institution in 2013.

A breakdown of the sum showed that the authorities spent N6.552m for 39 deluxe rooms at N84,000 each for two nights; N290,000 for one junior suite at N145,000 for two nights; N600,000 for hall at N300, 000 for two days and another N600,000 for Public Address System/Multimedia facilities at N300,000 for two days.

The college also spent N360,000 on tea break for 60 persons at N3,000 each for two days; and N600, 000 for lunch for the same number of persons at N5,000 each for two days. Besides its authorities allegedly paid N400,000 for dinner for 40 persons at N5,000 for two days and another N400,000 for breakfast for the same number of persons for the corresponding days.

The college also paid N980, 200 as service charge and N490,000 as VAT.

Meanwhile, Kagara and the Head of Public Relations of YABATECH, Mr. Charles Oni, did not respond to the several calls made to their telephones seeking their reactions to the allegations on Monday.

They also did not respond to the text messages sent to them.

However, in a police document dated August 27, 2014, obtained by our correspondent, the security agency noted that the allegations by Ibirogba were spurious and bogus.

The document signed by one detective, Ibrahim Bako, a Chief Superintendent of Police, read, “It is our candid opinion that the former bursar/petitioner before the General Investigation Department, Alagbon, was on a hateful and spiteful mission as a result of his disagreement with the institution’s management.

“It is interesting to note that the former bursar recommended all the alleged fraudulent payments to the Rector without any ‘caveat’. It therefore sounds absurd, strange and illogical for him to turn round and allege fraudulent payments.

“His excuse that he only recommended the fraudulent payments so as not to be portrayed as an anti establishment is not only indefensible but also flawed and a breach of extant rules governing financial transactions of the Federal Government.”

Ibirogba on behalf of the YABATECH 8, had earlier petitioned to Buhari and his deputy, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, alleging among others, that the Council of the school approved N5m monthly security allocation for the rector.

The Rector and the college Governing Council Chairman, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, had also dismissed the accusations as mere witch-hunt targeted at discrediting her achievements in the school.