The spokesperson to Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has alleged that any N13.7 billion annual payroll fraud uncovered in the state civil service was perpetrated under the administration of former governor Gboyega Oyetola.
Mallam Olawale Rasheed made the claim during an appearance on Arise Television, where he addressed allegations of misconduct levelled against the current administration by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Rasheed maintained that the payroll audited by consulting firm Sally Tibbot was that of the immediate past government. He argued that Governor Adeleke would not have engaged an external consultant had there been anything to conceal.
“If there is any so-called N13 billion fraud uncovered by Sally Tibbot, it means it was perpetrated under Governor Oyetola,” Rasheed said. “What the APC press conference implied was that the party was accusing its own leader of a yearly N13 billion payroll scam, amounting to N52 billion over four years.”
The controversy centres on claims of widespread “ghost workers” within the Osun State civil service. According to Rasheed, the consultant initially alleged the existence of 15,000 ghost workers. However, a review committee later found that fewer than 500 personnel were unaccounted for.
He further alleged that known state officials, including senior academics such as the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, were wrongly listed as ghost workers. Rasheed said complaints from affected individuals prompted the governor to seek further clarification.
The governor’s elder brother, businessman Dr Deji Adeleke, was also drawn into the matter after reports suggested he attended a meeting between the governor and the consultant. Rasheed dismissed suggestions of impropriety, stating that there was “nothing illegal or immoral” in a family member offering advice.
“It was the governor who introduced the consultant to Dr Deji,” he explained, adding that the audit report had already been submitted months earlier and the meeting was convened to address concerns raised by those allegedly misidentified.
Rasheed claimed that during the meeting, the consultant’s technical team admitted that the payroll software under development had not been fully tested. He said this informed the administration’s decision to adopt the World Bank-supported State Integrated Financial Management Information System (SIFMIS), which he described as more reliable.
The spokesperson further accused the consulting firm of acting unprofessionally by secretly recording and photographing the meeting without authorisation. He alleged that the firm subsequently boycotted review committee sessions.
According to Rasheed, Governor Adeleke has formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate both the consultant’s findings and the previous administration’s payroll processes.
He insisted that the current government has “nothing to hide” and has since sanitised the payroll system under the World Bank framework, pledging full cooperation with anti-graft agencies as investigations proceed.
