The management of Osun State University has demanded a formal apology from consulting firm Sally Tibbot Ltd after an audit report allegedly classified about 250 members of staff as ghost workers.
The Vice-Chancellor, Clement Adebooye, said on Saturday in Osogbo that the university could institute legal proceedings if the firm failed to retract the report and apologise.
Adebooye stated that he personally participated in the verification exercise but was still listed as a ghost worker in the final report.
“The Governing Council and Management of the university consider the consultant’s report subjective, unprofessional and a deliberate attempt to damage the reputation of the institution,” he said.
According to him, many staff members who were on legitimate assignments such as sabbatical, study leave, visiting lecturer appointments and research leave were wrongly categorised.
“The listing of about 250 staff members who are physically verifiable strengthens our concern that the consultant focused on returns rather than accountability,” the vice-chancellor added.
“We therefore request a formal apology to the institution and the affected individuals. If this is not done, the university will seek redress in court.”
He further noted that the report had exposed the institution and some senior academics to embarrassment locally and internationally.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the firm’s Chief Executive Officer, Sa’adat Bakrin-Ottun, were unsuccessful as calls and messages sent to her were not answered as of the time of filing this report.
The controversy followed a May–June 2023 staff audit conducted for the Osun State Government.
Bakrin-Ottun had earlier alleged that the exercise uncovered thousands of ghost workers and retirees still on the state payroll.
However, the state government, through Information Commissioner Kolapo Alimi, accused the firm of inflating figures to increase its commission.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress in the state has called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate the payroll audit.
But the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party insisted that the focus should remain on ongoing payroll reforms rather than defending the consultant’s findings.
