Burutu, Delta State — In what appears to be one of the most brazen cases of financial misconduct in recent union history, a disturbing scandal has rocked the Delta State Maritime Polytechnic (DESMAPOLY), Burutu, implicating top officials of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Burutu Chapter and the school’s own Bursar and management Staff.
Chronicles Reporters has obtained credible documents, bank transaction slips, and testimonies confirming the questionable diversion of ₦9.3 million, originally wired from the Delta State School of Marine Technology (DESOMATECH) account, into the union’s coffers and subsequently into private accounts — without the knowledge or approval of the ASUP Congress or its Executive Committee (ExCo).
The Suspicious Transaction Trail
According to documents dated 9th September 2024, ₦9.3 million was first wired from the DESOMATECH account into the Academic Staff Multipurpose Cooperative (ASMPC) account. Shortly after the transaction, the institution’s Bursar, Mr. Jonatus Ogodobiri, reportedly contacted the ASMPC Chairman, acknowledging the transfer as an “error” and instructing that the funds be redirected to the ASUP Chairman’s private account.
The ASMPC Chairman, refusing to comply with this unusual directive, instead returned the full sum back to the Delta State School of Marine Technology account on the same day.
But the story did not end there. On 10th September 2024, barely 24 hours after the initial transfer, the Bursar authorized another transfer of the exact sum — ₦9.3 million — this time into the official ASUP Union account.
What followed the next day has raised alarm bells within the union. On 11th September 2024, internal bank records show that the entire ₦9.3 million was disbursed in a flurry of counter cheques, funneled directly into private accounts. The ASUP Treasurer and Financial Secretary told Chronicles Reporters they were never informed, nor was there any ExCo or Congress approval to authorize the withdrawals.
“This wasn’t just a violation of ASUP’s financial protocols; it looks like a well-planned scheme,” one senior union member said, speaking under strict anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Breakdown of the illicit disbursement as obtained by Chronicles Reporters:
1. ₦2.6 million — deposited directly into the Bursar’s private account (Mr. Jonatus Ogodobiri).
2. ₦1.5 million — credited into the ASUP Burutu Chapter Chairman’s personal account (Mr. Bayai Sunny).
3. ₦5.2 million — transferred to a third party, Mr. Akporer Lucky Oghenerovwe, whose role in this scheme remains unclear.
These transactions, carried out swiftly and in secrecy, bypassed the union’s financial custodians and exposed a disturbing breach of trust.
Financial experts consulted by Chronicles Reporters point to several troubling signs:
• Unauthorized transactions: Union rules mandate that both the Treasurer and Financial Secretary must co-sign all major withdrawals. In this case, both officers were sidelined.
• Conflict of interest: The direct benefit to the ASUP Chairman raises questions about compromised leadership and accountability.
• Suspicious origins of funds: The ₦9.3 million originated from the DESOMATECH account — a government-funded institution — prompting concerns that public funds may have been laundered through a union structure.
One financial crimes analyst described the series of events as “a textbook case of fund diversion with traces of money laundering.”
Rank-and-file ASUP members in Burutu expressed outrage when the revelations surfaced. “We pay dues to build this union, not to serve as a front for government officials to siphon money,” said a lecturer at the Polytechnic, requesting anonymity.
Several others told Chronicles Reporters they now fear their welfare contributions are being manipulated for political and personal enrichment.
A strongly worded petition addressed to the Chairman, Governing Council (Chief J.T. Government) of Delta State Maritime Polytechnic, and another petition to the SOUTH-SOUTH ASUP Secretariat, demands immediate action, including:
1. A full-scale investigation into the Bursar’s actions and the role of implicated union executives.
2. A comprehensive forensic audit of the ASUP Burutu Chapter bank account.
3. The suspension of all implicated individuals pending investigation.
4. An inquiry into the source of the ₦9.3 million transferred from DESOMATECH accounts.
5. A formal report to be submitted to the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies.
This scandal may only be the tip of the iceberg. Our investigation has already uncovered preliminary evidence suggesting involvement of school management officials, compromised police officers, top governors officials and even elements within the EFCC, who allegedly shield suspects in exchange for kickbacks.
If substantiated, these revelations could expose a wide network of corruption, implicating not just union leaders but also state institutions entrusted with safeguarding public resources.
Chronicles Reporters has secured additional documents and testimonies which will be published in Part Two and Three of this series, tracing how government allocations to the polytechnic may have been systematically siphoned through unions, cooperatives, and ghost accounts. And how school facilities are being sold, school contracts awarded to the rector family wife’s company, also a relative to the Bursar that is a junior staff of the institution. And several other corrupt practices.
For now, the ₦9.3 million scandal raises an urgent question:
Is ASUP Burutu being used as a laundering channel for Delta State funds?
As one union elder put it, “If this is not addressed, the integrity of ASUP across Nigeria will be destroyed.”
This is Part One of our ongoing investigation into financial misconduct at Delta State Maritime Polytechnic, Burutu. Stay tuned as for Part two. Because it goes deep in following the money and uncover the bigger players behind this scandal.
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