The management of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has strongly rejected a payroll audit report that wrongly classified 250 of its staff members, including the Vice-Chancellor, as "ghost workers," and is demanding a formal apology from the auditing firm while threatening court action if the demand is not met.
In a press conference held in Osogbo on Saturday, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Clement Adebooye described the findings by Sally Tibbot Ltd, a consulting firm engaged by the Osun State government to conduct a staff audit in May/June 2023 as "precariously subjective, in bad faith, unprofessional, and a deliberate attempt to smear the image and reputation of the University with falsehood and malice."
Prof. Adebooye revealed that he personally participated in the physical verification exercise conducted by the firm, yet his name, along with 249 other legitimate staff members appeared on the list of ghost workers in the released report.
He attributed the errors to the consultants' apparent lack of understanding of university-specific employment practices, such as sabbatical leave, study leave, visiting lecturer arrangements, and research leave.
Legitimate employees on approved absences were misclassified as non-existent, he said.
"The listing of 250 members of staff (on ground) as ghost workers laid credence to the suspicion that Sally Tibbot focused on her returns rather than the accountability objective of the exercise," Prof. Adebooye stated.
He emphasized that the university has documented evidence of physical verifications and questioned the methodological basis of the firm's conclusions.
The Vice-Chancellor highlighted the reputational damage caused, noting that affected staff, including himself and eminent professors, have received embarrassing calls, messages, and letters from local and international organizations due to the report.
UNIOSUN's Governing Council and management have formally demanded a public apology from Sally Tibbot Ltd to the institution and the individuals involved.
Prof. Adebooye warned that failure to comply would leave the university with no choice but to pursue legal redress in court to protect its integrity and seek appropriate remedies.
The controversy is part of broader tensions surrounding the state's payroll audit, which the firm claimed uncovered around 15,000 ghost workers and retirees statewide, leading to accusations of N13.7 billion in payroll fraud.
However, the Osun State government has accused Sally Tibbot of inflating figures to secure higher commissions, while the firm has defended its findings and even recommended disciplinary actions against some tertiary institution leaders.
Efforts to obtain comments from Sally Tibbot Ltd's CEO, Sa’adat Bakrin-Ottun, have so far been unsuccessful.
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