Staff Audit: UNIOSUN VC Rejects Report, Berates Sally Tibbot For Declaring Him a Ghost Worker

Read Time:3 Minute, 18 Second

By Waliu Adetokun Osogbo

The Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has rejected in strong terms the classification of 250 of its staff members, including the Vice-Chancellor, as “ghost workers” in the 2023 Osun State staff audit report, describing the exercise as unprofessional and vowing to seek legal redress.

Addressing journalists at a press conference held on Saturday at the university’s main campus in Osogbo, the Vice-Chancellor, Odunayo Clement Adebooye, said the institution was compelled to speak out following the resurfacing of the controversial audit report submitted by Sally Tibbot Consulting.

Adebooye said the briefing was an institutional response aimed at correcting public misconceptions and defending the integrity of the university, stressing that the matter was beyond politics.

“In May/June 2023, a statewide personnel verification exercise was conducted.

“To our utmost surprise, the consultant’s report classified 250 legitimate workers of the University, including the Vice-Chancellor, as ghost workers,” he said.

“These individuals physically appeared, presented valid credentials, and fully complied with the verification process”, he said.

He described the classification as “psychologically disturbing” and questioned the methodological basis of the report, particularly in view of documented evidence of physical verification.

The Vice-Chancellor alleged that the verification exercise was marred by operational lapses. According to him, the university’s 1,017 staff members as of August 2023 were scheduled for verification in a single day alongside workers from other state agencies, forcing them to converge at the State Secretariat under what he termed inadequate logistical arrangements.

“All staff members, including professors, had to queue under the scorching sun for hours,” he said, adding that the consultant’s personnel were insufficient to handle the large turnout.

Adebooye further accused the consulting firm of unprofessional conduct, claiming that its lead consultant demonstrated poor understanding of university administrative processes, including concepts such as sabbatical leave, study leave and visiting appointments.

He also faulted the consultant for allegedly merging records of staff who had retired or resigned between the 2022 and 2023 audits with the active workforce, thereby inflating the number of alleged ghost workers.

“Even though I was present throughout the exercise and assisting to calm aggrieved staff, the report still categorized me as a ghost worker. What an insult to my person and the Office of the Vice-Chancellor,” he said.

Providing an update on the university’s workforce, Adebooye stated that UNIOSUN currently has 1,463 employees across its six campuses, comprising 628 academic staff, 466 non-teaching staff, 235 support staff and 134 National Youth Service Corps members.

He maintained that the university operates a monthly internal verification mechanism known as the “Salary Checker” system, which ensures that only certified staff members receive salaries.

“Our payroll system, personnel documentation and administrative procedures are subject to statutory oversight and monthly review. Our system does not allow salary padding, let alone ghost workers,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor also accused the consultant of breaching standard audit procedures by allegedly failing to provide the university with a management letter for review before finalizing the report, describing the document as “subjective, unprofessional and in bad faith.”

UNIOSUN has demanded a formal apology from the consulting firm and warned that it reserves the right to pursue further action under Nigerian law to protect its reputation and that of its staff.

“We are willing to take necessary action as permitted by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The University and its members will act individually and collectively to address this mischief”, Adebooye said.

He, however, reiterated the university’s readiness to submit to any lawful and professionally conducted independent review, expressing confidence that such an exercise would affirm the legitimacy of its personnel records.

The controversy over the 2023 staff audit has continued to generate debate in Osun State, with stakeholders calling for greater transparency and adherence to professional standards in public sector verification exercises.

Osun Spring

Click to Join Our WhatsApp Group

Click to Join Our WhatsApp Channel