Several staffers at the Federal Polytechnic in Oko, Anambra State have accused the school’s administrators of stealing a massive amount of staff wages over a period lasting more than fourteen years.
The affected staff members said they discovered thepolytechnic had been underpaying them after they registered with PENCOM and opening retirement accounts with the First Guarantee Pension Limited (FGPL).
A statement issued by the staff and obtained by SaharaReporters remarked, “Our pension updates started coming in hard and soft copies from 2006 to date, reflecting what our true salaries are.” They alleged that they were not paid “for the first of nineteen months of our employment,” adding that they had received only “a third of our monthly salaries ever since.”
The aggrieved workers stated that, on discovering the discrepancy in their wage and pension, they had “consulted the southeast zonal director of PENCOM, FGPL head office in Lagos, and the FGPL marketers.”
In an interview with our correspondent, one of the workers stated, “It was only when we saw the government contribution to our pension, which is 7.5% of the salary, that we realized we were not being paid our full amount [by the Federal Polytechnic Oko].”
The workers’ statement provided the scenario of one lecturer who was allegedly paid N53, 338 per month instead of N98, 341 per month. The statement provided copies of the Retirement Saving Account (RSA) and pay slip (see below):
Speaking to SaharaReporters, one of the workers emphasized that all the affected workers were duly employed, registered, and confirmed staff of the Federal Polytechnic. “We have been employed and documented, like every other staff member of the institution, since between 2002 and 2007.”
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer for the Federal Polytechnic in Oko, Obini Onuchukwu, denied the allegations. He told our correspondent, “there has been absolutely no diversion of any salary from any staff members.”
Mr. Onuchukwu added that “these allegations are nothing more than cheap blackmail.”
The PRO also said that it was “unpatriotic toward the current director [Professor Godwin Onu].” He said that the support for staff members at the Federal Polytechnic in Oko has been first class, adding “his interest in the staff welfare is shown in how many staff are trained and educated abroad.”
The aggrieved workers said the salaries of at least thirty-five members of staff of the polytechnic had been affected by the fraudulent diversion of wages. “Can you imagine this situation where a significant portion of our salaries have been consistently lost in transit for many years?” he said.
The full list of affected staff saying their wages have been diverted can be found below: