By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, has dismissed recent allegations of payroll irregularities, insisting that the current management under Rector, Prof. Salisu Ogbo Usman, did not perpetrate any fraud but rather uncovered and reported a payroll scam that dates back to 2014 — six years before the present administration assumed office.
In a statement signed by Uredo Omale, Director of Public Relations and Protocol, the institution described the reports circulating in some online platforms as misleading and unfair, stressing that they misrepresented the facts already established before the Kogi State House of Assembly.
“The issue began in 2014 with a complaint from one Mr. Abdul Hassan Sani, who alleged that his name was removed from the polytechnic’s payroll,” the statement explained.
“Investigations revealed that Sani presented a fake appointment letter and had no record of documentation, posting, or clearance within the institution. The file number he claimed actually belonged to a duly employed female staff member.”
According to the Polytechnic, despite his fraudulent status, Sani was illegally paid salaries between June 2014 and November 2015, prompting the current administration to escalate the matter for investigation and recovery.
The management noted that the Kogi State House of Assembly Committee on Public Petitions, which investigated the case, had commended the Polytechnic for exposing the irregularities and cooperating fully with the legislature.
However, the institution said it was disturbed by subsequent online reports suggesting complicity on its part. It urged media practitioners and bloggers to verify facts before publication, adding that misinformation could harm institutional integrity and public confidence.
The Polytechnic also called on the Kogi State House of Assembly and security agencies to order the arrest and prosecution of the fraudulent claimant, warning that failure to do so might encourage similar acts elsewhere.
“We commend the House of Assembly for its diligence and the administration of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for instituting strict staff audits and screening exercises which have helped to clean up the state’s payroll system,” the statement added.
It would be recalled that the House, after adopting its committee report, expressed dissatisfaction over how the impostor managed to draw salaries from May 2014 to October 2015, and directed that appropriate actions be taken to forestall a recurrence.
For Kogi Polytechnic, the management insists, the controversy has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability, and internal reform — values it says define the Prof. Usman administration.
