Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke
By John Dike, Osogbo
Osun State Government has dismissed alleged cover-up in the identification of ghost workers in the state public service, describing claims by Sally Tibbot Consulting (Nig.) Ltd as misleading, self-serving and a calculated attempt at subtle blackmail to force the acceptance of a flawed audit report.
In a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Hon. Kola Alimi, the government explained that the unusually high number of alleged ghost workers presented by the consultant during the payroll audit necessitated a comprehensive re-verification exercise.
According to the statement, the outcome of the re-verification was startling, as it revealed that a substantial number of workers earlier labelled as “ghosts” were in fact bona fide employees of the Osun State Government.
The government noted that it was at all times ready to provide Sally Tibbot Consulting with verifiable evidence of the existence of the affected workers. However, the firm neither requested such documentation nor submitted an acceptance letter for payment based on the 1,316 workers eventually confirmed as genuinely unseen.
It further expressed concern that the consultant’s remuneration structure—tied to the amount of money purportedly saved for the state—may have encouraged inflated figures and sharp practices.
These, the government alleged, included high-handed conduct during the audit, exclusion of staff from the process and maltreatment of workers.
While reaffirming its commitment to sanitising the state payroll, the government stressed that it could not, in good conscience, remove legitimate employees from the payroll or implement an audit report riddled with verifiable gaps and inconsistencies. It emphasised that reviewing an audit report prior to implementation is not only lawful but necessary where obvious red flags exist.
Sally Tibbot Consulting had claimed that 8,448 active workers were “unseen” and further declared 6,713 retirees as ghost pensioners—figures the government said were reached without making reasonable efforts to contact or invite affected individuals, including those absent due to ill-health, to explain their status.
However, following a detailed analysis and re-verification exercise aimed at preventing injustice to genuine workers, the government disclosed the following findings:
Of the 8,448 workers declared unseen, 8,015 were confirmed to be active employees, while only 433 were genuinely unreachable.
Of the 6,713 retirees labelled as ghost pensioners, 5,830 were verified as legitimate retirees, with 883 remaining unreachable.
This brought the total number of genuinely unseen workers and retirees to 1,316, in stark contrast to the 15,161 initially presented by the consultant.
The government said the drastic reduction significantly affected the percentage-based consultancy fee being claimed by Sally Tibbot Consulting, reinforcing concerns that the firm attempted to “reap where it did not sow” by exaggerating figures to maximise financial gain.
Providing further clarification, the government recalled that in response to a letter of demand dated June 25, 2025, written by the consultant’s counsel, Jiti Ogunye, Esq., the state—through its counsel, Mrs. Ire Egert-Olusesi of Musibau Adetunbi SAN & Co.—replied on July 8, 2025, stressing the need to first ascertain the actual amount saved by the state before any payment could be made.
The government proposed payment strictly based on the confirmed figure of about 1,316 ghost workers, pending further verification. However, in a letter dated July 23, 2025, the consultant’s counsel insisted on payment based on the disputed figure of 15,161, arguing that the agreement did not envisage a re-verification exercise.
This position was rejected by the state in a response dated August 5, 2025, with the government reiterating that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) clearly ties consultancy fees to actual savings realised by the state.
According to the government, the re-verification committee established that the total financial gain from the confirmed unseen personnel amounted to ₦27,077,847.60, as against the ₦1.318 billion claimed by the consultant.
Based on these findings, the committee recommended:
The permanent stoppage of salaries, pensions and palliatives of the confirmed unseen active and retired staff with effect from July 2025.
The payment of ₦48,740,125.68 to Sally Tibbot Consulting (Nig.) Ltd, representing 159 percent of the annual gross salaries and allowances saved by the state, in line with Section 3(3.1) of the MoU.
- Osun State Government reaffirmed its resolve to uphold transparency, accountability and fairness in public service administration, stressing that while it welcomes professional support in reforming the payroll system, it will resist any attempt to defraud the state under the guise of consultancy.
