Double Salaries Investigation (ii): Taraba Varsity Bursar’s ‘Secondment’ Violated Taraba Civil Service Rule

Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper further investigations has revealed that the Bursar of the Taraba State University, Jalingo Mr. Abraham Bagu violated rules of the Taraba State Civil Service with his purported 'secondment to the University as substantive bursar'.

Fresh documents made available to Taraba Truth and Facts newspaper shows that Mr. Abraham Bagu had on the 28^th of March 2022 in a letter to the Permanent Secretary, Establishment Affairs applied for secondment to the university for five years.

The documents made available to Taraba Truth and Facts newspaper by a local newsletter in defense of Mr. Abraham Bagu shows that Mr. Abraham Bagu had gotten a fresh appointment as Substantive Bursar of the Taraba State University from 25^th February 2022 to 25^th January 2027.  

Findings by Taraba Truth and Facts newspaper shows that Chapter 2, Section 5 of the Taraba State Public Service Rules (2012 Edition) clearly spells that secondment of an officer "shall be a maximum period of two years in the first instance after which the officer must apply for extension, seek for transfer, or return to his former post. All extension must be approved by the appropriate Committees and the State Civil Service Commission. The total period of such secondment must not exceed four (4) years''.

Taraba Truth and Fact investigations has revealed that Bursar of the Taraba State University, Jalingo Mr. Abraham Bagu has been earning double salaries simultaneously from the university and the state government.

The investigation which includes review of bank statements, payroll documents show that from December 2021 to December 2023, about twenty-five months after being appointed as Bursar of Taraba State University, Mr. Abraham Bagu continued to receive complete salary from the State Audit Department of the Taraba State Government. 

Mr. Abraham Bagu was before his appointment as Bursar of the University a staff of the Office of the Auditor General.

Reacting to the report, several groups and a local newsletter claimed Mr. Abraham Bagu was on secondment and was eligible to receive salaries from both the State Government and the Taraba State University. 

A local newsletter in the state had also reported that Taraba Truth and Fact Newspaper falsely accused Mr. Abraham Bagu in its report. As a credible and reputable newspaper, we stand by every content of this painstaking investigation.