Presidency Orders VC of the Federal University, Otuoke To Refund Salaries’ Overpayment

The 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 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 that were not approved by the government.

These concerns were raised in a letter from 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 follows:

“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 the Registrar 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 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.