The management of the Kogi State polytechnic, Lokoja, has dismissed four senior lecturers from service for alleged acts of gross misconduct bordering on fraud, sexual harassment and other offences.

The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Uredo Omale, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja on Friday.

She said the concerned lecturers were dismissed for misconduct, bordering on alleged “sexual harassment, victimization of female students, absconding from duties, insubordination, falsification of records, disobedience to lawful order and diversion of TETFUND training grant”.

According to her, the dismissal of the lecturers was sequel to the approval by the Governing Council of Kogi State Polytechnic at its 68th meeting.

“Some offences of the dismissed lecturers include, disobedience to lawful order, falsification of document to obtain training grant and diversion of the said training grant to the tune of 22,676,500.00 and 21,204,000.00 respectively,” the statement stressed.

The investigating panel further directed the management of the institution to use available legal means to recover from two of the sacked staff the total sum of N22,676,500 and N21,204,000, being the funds they allegedly collected as training grants without undergoing the training at the approved University in Malaysia.

Also, the statement added that “Mrs. Ojon Blessing was dismissed for allegedly absconding from duty from 5th January, 2020 to 31st July, 2022 and should refund the sum of 1,356,653.79, being the unearned salaries drawn from the Government within the period of absconding”.

In a related development, the governing council of the polytechnic has approved the promotion of eight principal lecturers to the rank of chief lecturers.