- If Any Fraud Exists, Blame
Oyetola’s Administration
By John Dike, Osogbo
Osun State Government has once again dismissed allegations of a ₦13 billion payroll scam by Sally Tibbot Limited, describing the renewed claim as politically motivated and sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The government insisted that no such fraud occurred, noting that verification of the controversial audit report confirmed that more than two-thirds of those declared “ghost workers” are bonafide staff with proper identification and documentation.
In a strongly worded statement on Friday, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, reaffirmed that Governor Ademola Adeleke remains open to investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), as he initiated the audit project.
The statement clarified that Governor Adeleke commissioned the audit to probe claims of padded payroll inherited from former Governor Gboyega Oyetola. “If any fraud exists, it is not under Governor Adeleke but from the Oyetola administration,” it said.
The governor is reportedly willing to have all the 15,000 alleged ghost workers identified by anti-corruption agencies.
Audit Review Exposed Inflated Claims
Following concerns raised regarding bona fide civil servants wrongly declared as ghost workers, a review committee comprising the consultant and labour union officials was established.
The committee found that of the 8,448 workers initially deemed “unseen,” 8,015 were active, while 433 could not be reached. Among the 6,713 retirees flagged as ghost pensioners, 5,830 were confirmed, leaving 883 unreachable.
The review revealed that Sally Tibbot had inflated the number of ghost workers to 15,000, likely to claim a payment of about ₦2 billion. After corrections, her eventual payment dropped to ₦47 million. Repeated invitations for her to verify the corrected list were reportedly ignored.
Victims Include University Lecturers
The Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Prof. Adeboye, disclosed that he and many lecturers were falsely declared ghost workers and are considering court action for damages. He described the audit as a “charade and sham” that demonstrated gross incompetence and witch-hunting.
Despite the flaws in the audit report, the state government proceeded to implement a homegrown payroll reform. A new integrated payroll system has been introduced, with bureaucracy further sanitised through technological solutions.
The government accused Sally Tibbot of acting as a tool for APC propaganda, stating: “The APC-sponsored fake news has failed.”
If you want, I can also write a snappier version for newspaper front-page style under 400 words that highlights the political angle and key figures. Do you want me to do that?
