The controversy surrounding the disputed payroll audit in Osun State has taken a new turn, as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is set to step in following a formal request by Governor Ademola Adeleke for a forensic review.
The governor, in a letter dated February 20, asked the anti-corruption agency to investigate and authenticate allegations of a padded payroll and the existence of ghost workers in the state’s workforce.
According to the correspondence, the administration engaged Sally Tibbot Limited to audit the payroll it inherited covering the period from 2018 to November 2022, with the firm submitting its report on June 27, 2024.
Adeleke said he initially directed implementation of the report to eliminate suspected ghost workers, but later constituted a review committee after controversies emerged, particularly claims that senior officials were wrongly listed.
He subsequently requested the ICPC to deploy forensic auditors to examine both the original audit report and the review committee’s findings to authenticate the correctness or otherwise of the conclusions reached.
Allegations, Denials And Political Fallout
The audit has generated sharp political exchanges, especially after the consulting firm alleged an annual payroll fraud running into ₦13.7 billion under the current administration.
The Osun State Government, through Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, rejected the allegation, describing it as politically motivated and sponsored by opposition elements.
The dispute has widened beyond partisan actors, drawing institutional backlash from Osun State University, whose management threatened legal action against the consultants after about 250 members of staff were allegedly classified as ghost workers in the audit report.
UNIOSUN Vice-Chancellor Clement Adebooye said he personally participated in the verification exercise yet was still listed, describing the report as subjective and damaging to the institution’s reputation.
The university argued that staff on legitimate sabbatical, study leave and visiting appointments were wrongly categorised, questioning the methodology adopted by the consultants.
Escalation Raises Governance Concerns
The unfolding scenario has turned what began as an administrative payroll verification into a multi-front dispute involving the state government, opposition voices and the auditing firm, with each side contesting the credibility of the process.
Observers note that the decision to invite ICPC signals an acknowledgement of the depth of disagreement surrounding the audit’s findings and implementation, particularly amid conflicting narratives over whether the exercise exposed fraud or was fundamentally flawed.
With threats of litigation, political accusations and institutional rebuttals now converging, the ICPC’s intervention is expected to determine the accuracy of the audit claims, the validity of the review carried out by the state and whether any financial misconduct actually occurred.
Stakeholders say the anti-corruption agency’s findings may ultimately decide whether the audit exercise becomes a tool for accountability or another flashpoint in Osun’s intensifying political contest.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
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