Settle Dismissed Officer, Senate Tells Navy

The Senate has directed the Nigerian Navy to promptly calculate and pay the salaries and allowances owed to dismissed officer Ewato Flaubert Oluwadolapo.

However, the Senate upheld his dismissal, which was enacted by Navy authorities for establishing an illegal roadblock. This serves as a warning to other personnel who might consider engaging in similar misconduct.

The Senate‘s resolution came after a report was presented by Senator Neda Imasuen (LP Edo South), Chairman of the Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions. According to the directive, Ewato‘s compensation should cover the period from his return from Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) until the confirmation of his dismissal by the Navy.

Senator Imasuen recounted that during a plenary session on July 20, 2023, Senator Abiru M. Adetokunbo (Lagos East) brought forth a petition from Mr Ewato Flaubert Oluwadolapo, who alleged wrongful dismissal and non-payment of his salaries and allowances. The petition urged the Senate to investigate and call for his reinstatement.

Following this, the Senate referred the petition to the Committee on Ethics and Code of Conduct for further legislative action. The committee found that the officer‘s summary trial adhered to the regulations governing the Armed Forces of Nigeria and that his dismissal was necessary to uphold discipline within the Navy.

After reviewing testimonies from Mr Oluwadolapo and Rear Admiral SD Atakpa, a Chief of Naval Staff representative, the committee made several observations. They noted that Oluwadolapo served in the Navy from January 2013 until his dismissal was confirmed on June 16, 2022. He had committed various infractions, including being AWOL for over a year, abandoning his duty post, and setting up an illegal roadblock along the Lokoja-Abuja Road.

The committee revealed that he had been demoted from Seaman to Ordinary Seaman after being found guilty of being AWOL from June 1, 2020, to June 27, 2021. Despite his return to duty on June 27, 2021, and subsequent demotion, the Navy did not compensate him for his work until his dismissal on January 25, 2022.

Evidence presented included a handwritten confession from Oluwadolapo, in which he admitted to abandoning his post and creating the illegal roadblock to extort money from motorists, citing financial difficulties as his motive.

The committee concluded that Oluwadolapo‘s dismissal stemmed not from his AWOL status but specifically from the illegal roadblock incident for which he was summarily tried and found guilty. Ultimately, the Senate determined that the Nigerian Navy owed Mr. Oluwadolapo his salaries and allowances from June 27, 2021, until his dismissal confirmation on June 16, 2022.