Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has openly welcomed calls for a probe by Nigeria's anti-corruption agencies into a controversial staff audit report that allegedly uncovered thousands of ghost workers in the state's public service.
Consultant's Allegations and Government's Rebuttal
The call for investigation was made by the consulting firm, Sally Tibbot Limited, which accused the Adeleke-led government of failing to implement recommendations from a report it submitted on June 27, 2024. The firm claimed the audit revealed 8,452 ghost workers on the state payroll. It also criticized the state for setting up a review committee that faulted its findings and decried the government's reluctance to pay the N600 million cost of the audit.
However, the state government, through the Commissioner for Information and Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, had earlier dismissed the allegations. In a statement on Friday, the government described the consultant's press briefing as "a subtle blackmail" to force a "fraudulent" report on the state. It claimed a re-verification exercise revealed a massive inflation in the number of alleged ghost workers, with many of those flagged proving to be legitimate employees.
Adeleke's Stance: Probe the Inherited Payroll
Responding through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Saturday, Governor Adeleke stated he welcomed the invitation to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to review the audit. He, however, made a crucial clarification, asserting that the audit focused on the payroll inherited from his predecessor, Adegboyega Oyetola.
"Our administration did not and has not expanded the personnel and payroll structures inherited from the last administration," the governor's statement read. "Moreover, what was audited was the payroll and personnel structure under Oyetola’s administration."
Adeleke positioned himself as a protector of workers, stating he should be commended for rejecting the consultant's recommendations to lay off legitimate staff for the firm's "personal gain." He emphasized that his administration stopped a likely fraud while trying to clean up the system.
Mounting Suspicion and the Way Forward
The state government's earlier statement raised further concerns about the consultant's motives. It alleged that the company's fee was tied to the amount of money it claimed to save the state, suggesting the high ghost worker count was driven by greed. The government also criticized the audit process for its high-handedness and the deliberate exclusion and maltreatment of staff.
Governor Adeleke concluded his statement with a direct challenge, saying, "Let the Oyetola administration officials brace up for the exercise." This sets the stage for a potential investigation that could scrutinize the financial and personnel records of the previous administration, turning the consultant's call for a probe into a politically charged examination of past governance.
