LOOTING HEIST: HOW FORMER UNILORIN VC ABDUL GANIYU BLEW OFF MORE THAN N514 MILLION USING OVERPAYMENTS

Secret Reporter

When it comes to prowess in fields other than academics, the erstwhile Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, who in 2013 was a recipient of the Distinguished Veterinarian Award, may also have his name penned down for a distinguished award in looting, all thanks to his prowess in the misappropriation of funds while he was at the helm of affairs in the Kwara based University.

This is as findings by SecretReporters show that despite Government laid down rules on monetizing fringe benefits, Prof Abdul Ganiyu Ambali in clear defiance of these regulations made an overpayment totaling N279,403,844 ( Two Hundred and Seventy-Nine Million, Four Hundred and Three Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty-Four) as field trip allowance in the salaries of staffs presumed to be his cronies.  This allowance we learned, which has already been added in the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) were in 2016 paid in double by Prof Abdul to his staff in addition to their consolidated salary monthly.

Regardless of this, the University under Prof Abdul further made a trivia Monthly Hazard Allowance and Monthly Responsibility Allowance payment to an undisclosed number of staffs to the tune of N115,576,595 (One Hundred and Fifteen Million, Five Hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand, Five Hundred and Ninety-Five Naira) and N108,468,526 (One Hundred and Eight Million, Four Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand, Five Hundred and Twenty Six Naira) respectively without approval from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, a red card on the part of the University.

Not to be left out of the looting bazaar, Prof Abdul as the Vice-chancellor personally received a stupendous total amount of N6,209,951 (Six Million, Two Hundred and Nine Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty-One Naira) that comprised of both Teaching allowance, Call-duty allowance, clinical allowance, and Field trip allowance in addition to his basic salary and other allowances made available in “the certain

As though on a looting heist, it was further discovered that Prof Abdul extended his looting gestures to the former Vice-chancellor of the University Prof. I.O. Oloyede, and a former Registrar Mrs. Olufolake Oyeyemi as both were still paid salaries and allowances meant for VC’s and Registrars despite the expiration of their term of office as against the salary scales meant for retired staff of the institution thus resulting in an overpayment in emoluments giving up to the sum of N3,857,070 (Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Seven Thousand, Seven Naira) and N407,221 (Four Hundred and Seven Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty One Naira) respectively.

It would be recalled that Prof. Ishaq-Oloyede and Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali who were both past Vice-Chancellor of the university had been in the news following allegations of fraudulent activities such as unremitted deductions, extortion of students, contract inflation and kickbacks, as well as unlawful payments to ex-principal officers of the university, laid against them by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in a petition before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in which they were alleged to have siphoned more than N2bn belonging to the institution.

Following an audit of the University by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation in 2018, there have been calls for an immediate investigation over the irregular payments made by Prof Abdul Ganiyu Ambali which amounted to a jaw-dropping N513,923,209 (Five Hundred and Thirteen Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty Three Thousand, Two Hundred and Nine Naira) as all efforts to get the school management and relevant authorities to bring him to book have yielded no positive result.