The management of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has called on Sally Tibbot Ltd to issue a formal apology following a payroll audit report that allegedly identified 250 university employees as “ghost workers.”
Speaking with journalists in Osogbo on Saturday, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Clement Adebooye, said the institution would not rule out legal action if the consulting firm fails to retract its claims and apologise.
Adebooye revealed that despite undergoing physical verification during the audit, his name still appeared on the list of alleged ghost workers. He noted that 249 other staff members were similarly classified, a development he described as damaging to the university’s reputation.
“The Governing Council and Management of Osun State University view the consultant’s report as being precariously subjective, in bad faith, unprofessional and a deliberate attempt to smear the image and reputation of the University with falsehood and malice,” he said.
The vice chancellor further alleged that the consultants lacked adequate understanding of academic employment structures, including sabbatical leave, study leave, visiting lecturer arrangements and research leave. He maintained that several legitimate staff members on approved leave were wrongly categorised.
“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.
“The University unequivocally questions the methodological basis upon which the ghost workers list was drawn, particularly in the light of documented evidence of physical verification,” he said.
Adebooye said the fallout from the report had triggered embarrassment for the institution, with senior academics reportedly receiving inquiries from both local and international organisations.
“We request a formal apology to the institution and affected individuals from Sally Tibbot. The Vice-Chancellor and eminent Professors have been bombarded by embarrassing telephone calls, messages and letters from local and international organisations because of the embarrassing audit report. We may go to court to seek redress,” he added.
Efforts to obtain a response from the firm’s Chief Executive Officer, Sa’adat Bakrin-Ottun, were unsuccessful at the time of filing, as calls and messages reportedly went unanswered.
The dispute traces back to a staff audit conducted in May and June 2023 for the Osun State Government. Bakrin-Ottun had earlier claimed that about 15,000 ghost workers and retirees were uncovered on the state payroll.
However, the state government, through Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment Kolapo Alimi, accused the firm of inflating figures to boost its commission.
The controversy has also drawn political reactions. The Osun chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the alleged payroll discrepancies.
APC spokesperson Kola Olabisi said a thorough probe was necessary to establish the level of responsibility of all parties involved.
In response, the Osun State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sunday Bisi, argued that the opposition was backing a consultant whose findings were allegedly discredited during verification, insisting that attention should remain on ongoing payroll reforms by the state government.
