Staff members of Federal College of Land Resources Technology, FECOLAT, Kuru, Jos have accused the Provost of the institution, Mr Najiwan Dabut Jacob, of embezzlement of staff salary, job racketeering and encouragement of ghost workers in the college.

The staff union of the college is alleging that the Provost recently recruited about one hundred new staff for the college through the back door, against laid down rules and procedures for employment.

The college is a federal agency of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development located in Kuru, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Non-Academic Staff Union Educational and Associated Institute, FECOLAT branch, who raised an alarm over the allegations last week informed journalists on Saturday that they had reported the fraud to the police in Jos for necessary investigation.

When contacted on phone, the college union chairman, Ishaya Inji confirmed the allegations, saying the union even reported the matter to the police in Vom when they discovered the fraud.

Most staffers of the college, who also claimed they are aware of the fraud, said, “The management of the college, with the consent of the provost has diverted arrears of staff salaries amounting to over N79 million to pay ghost workers.”

According to one of them, “The said salary arrears of staff for 2009 to 2013 was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari and the fund amounting to N79 million was released in December 2015 for management to pay the arrears.

“But rather than using the fund to pay workers owed, the provost has diverted the fund to pay salaries of new workers he recruited through the back door and without approval by the Head of Civil Service in Abuja as well as the supervising ministry.

The alleged fund diversion had caused major dispute between staff and management degenerating to level of lawlessness safe for the prompt intervention of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Vom that averted break down of law and order.

The staff alleged, “The staff population of existing staff of the college as at December 2015 was 66, but at the moment the staff population has risen to 136 following the illegal recruitment done by the Provost of the College.

“The implication of this illegal recruitment is that the provost is diverting salary arrears of retired staff of the college to pay the new staff he recruited illegally.

“Secondly, the provost has to split our salary budget for 2016 to cover the new staff he recruited because the new staff were not captured in the 2016 salary budget. It means the amount budgeted for our salary for the fiscal year 2016 by the federal budget office will be exhausted by June this year and we may not have salary until 2017 budget.

“This is because the provost has brought additional salary that was not envisaged by the federal labor office due to this illegal recruitment carried out by the provost.

“We also noticed that the provost has reduced the numbers of signatories to the college account by restricting it to only himself and the bursar as against the normal practice where the registrar and deputy provost should be part of the signatories.

“We see such actions by the provost as a fraudulent act that will create serious problems for the college in the nearest future if the checked from now.

The union continued that, “As law abiding civil servants, we have reported the matter to the police but the provost has not reversed the new employment he did and we are so concerned because the issue is touching on our welfare.

“We want the presidency to note that such fraud is going on in this college so that they can intervene call the provost to order”

Reacting to the allegations, when contacted, the Provost, Mr. Jacob said the allegations raised by the union does not exist in the college, explaining that “the employment I did was to fill in the gap left following the retirement of some staff and some that went on transfer. And I did not divert any money meant for salary arrears of staff”.

The provost advised that the staff should restrain themselves from meddling into management issues since they are not members of management.