A shocking forensic audit has exposed a massive payroll fraud in Osun State, with government funds totaling over N13 billion paid out annually to thousands of non-existent employees. The report, which has sparked a major controversy, reveals deep-seated systemic corruption within the state's civil service.
The Staggering Scale of the Fraud
The audit was conducted by SALLY TIBBOT Consulting Limited between June 2022 and April 2023. It was commissioned to verify and validate the state's payroll across all government arms. The findings were presented to Governor Ademola Adeleke in an Executive Brief and Full Audit Report.
The investigation discovered that the state's payment roll for January 2023, as managed by CHAMS, was initially recorded at N4.48 billion. This sum covered supposed payments to 37,456 staff and 17,918 pensioners.
However, after a rigorous staff audit and payroll reengineering, the genuine payment roll was drastically revised. The audit confirmed the actual, legitimate workforce consisted of only 29,004 staff alongside the 17,918 pensioners. This revealed a staggering discrepancy: 8,452 ghost workers had been fraudulently included on the payroll.
This correction led to a revised monthly payroll of N3.34 billion, creating immediate monthly savings of N1.14 billion for the Osun State government. Annually, this translates to savings of approximately N13.7 billion that was previously being siphoned through the ghost worker scheme.
Firm's Allegations and Demand for Justice
At a press conference held on Friday, the legal counsel for SALLY TIBBOT, Jiti Ogunye, addressed journalists. He spoke on behalf of the firm's Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Sa’adat A. Bakrin-Ottun. Ogunye stated the briefing was not politically motivated but aimed at ensuring probity and accountability of public officials.
He detailed that the comprehensive audit, which cost N600 million, covered the entire state apparatus. This included the civil service, local governments, SUBEB, TESCOM, all state-owned higher institutions, and all state and local council pensioners.
However, Ogunye raised serious concerns about the state government's response following the submission of the report on 27th June 2024 and its public presentation in Osogbo on 10th July 2024. He alleged that SALLY TIBBOT has taken numerous steps to demand the implementation of the audit's recommendations and for payment for the completed job, but these efforts have been futile.
"Rather than implementing the recommendation of the consulting firm, it conducted an in-depth analysis of SALLY TIBBOT’s report via a re-verification exercise," Ogunye stated. He emphatically rejected the state government's position, calling it "lame excuses, obligations-dodging afterthoughts and escapist sophistries."
He accused the government of attempting to avoid payment and to continue the corrupt payroll fraud. To protect the firm's reputation, Ogunye called for an independent investigation by anti-corruption agencies. He urged them to vindicate SALLY TIBBOT and to prosecute the perpetrators behind the ongoing fraud.
Security Threats and Official Silence
Ogunye revealed that the audit process was fraught with danger. "There were very grave security concerns and threats to lives of SALLY TIBBOT’s Management when the exercise was being conducted," he said. He added that these threats have escalated since the firm began demanding the implementation of the report's recommendations.
When contacted for a reaction, the spokesperson for Governor Ademola Adeleke, Mr. Olawale Rasheed, promised that a statement was being prepared. However, as of the time the report was filed, no official reaction from the state government had been provided, despite follow-up inquiries.
This unfolding scandal places a spotlight on the persistent issue of ghost workers in Nigeria's public sector and raises critical questions about governance, accountability, and the political will to tackle deep-rooted corruption.
