Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has welcomed calls for anti-corruption agencies to review the controversial staff audit report submitted by Sally Tibbot Limited, saying such a process would further expose the true state of the payroll inherited by his administration.
In a statement by the Spokesperson to the governor, Olawale Rasheed on Saturday via Osun State’s X handle, the governor said both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission are free to review the report, stressing that the audit was conducted on the payroll and personnel structure handed over by the immediate past administration of former governor Gboyega Oyetola.
The controversy surrounds a staff audit of the Osun State civil service carried out by a consulting firm, Sally Tibbot Limited, shortly after Adeleke assumed office in November 2022.
The audit was intended to clean up the state’s payroll system by identifying irregularities such as ghost workers and inflated personnel records.
Adeleke stated that his administration neither expanded nor manipulated the personnel and payroll framework it inherited, adding that the exercise under scrutiny relates entirely to records from the previous government.
“Our administration did not and has not expanded the personnel and payroll structures inherited from the last administration. Moreover, what was audited was the payroll and personnel structure under Oyetola’s administration,” he said.
The governor added that his government should be commended for refusing to implement the consultant’s recommendation to disengage legitimate workers, which he described as an attempt to advance personal interests at the expense of civil servants.
According to him, the decision to halt the recommendation helped prevent a potential fraud while the government continues efforts to clean up the payroll system.
“We stopped likely fraud even while pushing to clean up the system,” Adeleke said.
He therefore welcomed the call for the EFCC and ICPC to review the audit report, insisting that officials of the previous administration should be prepared to account for the outcome of the audit exercise.
“We welcome the call on the EFCC and the ICPC to review the audit report submitted by Sally Tibbot. Let the Oyetola administration officials brace up for the exercise,” the governor added.
