Alleged N13.7bn payroll fraud occurred under Oyetola, says Adeleke’s spokesperson

The spokesperson to Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, has maintained that any irregularities uncovered in the state’s payroll system were committed during the administration of former governor, Gboyega Oyetola.

Rasheed stated that the payroll audited by the consulting firm, Sally Tibbot, covered the immediate past administration, stressing that Governor Adeleke would not have engaged an external auditor if he had anything to conceal.

The governor’s spokesman made the clarification during an appearance on Arise Television while responding to allegations of a N13.7 billion yearly payroll fraud in the state.

He criticised the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) for accusing the governor of misconduct, arguing that any discrepancies identified in the payroll system predated the current administration. Oyetola currently serves as Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.

According to Rasheed, “If there is any so-called N13 billion fraud uncovered by Sally Tibbot, it means it was perpetrated under Governor Oyetola. The payroll that was audited was that of the immediate past administration.”

He added that the APC’s press conference in Osogbo amounted to the party indicting its own leader, alleging that if the yearly N13 billion fraud claim were accurate, it would translate to N52 billion over four years under the former governor.

Rasheed explained that Governor Adeleke engaged Sally Tibbot to sanitise the payroll system but said the process turned contentious and disruptive.

“Known state officials and staff members were declared ghost workers. Many reached out to leaders across Osun to protest. Some contacted Dr Deji Adeleke from churches and mosques, alerting him to plans to label them as ghost workers despite being legitimate staff,” he said.

Addressing concerns over the involvement of the governor’s elder brother, Dr Deji Adeleke, Rasheed insisted there was nothing illegal or unethical about a family member offering advice.

“It is not unlawful for a family member to advise a public office holder. The governor himself took the consultant to meet Dr Deji to respond to complaints from those listed as ghost workers. The audit report had already been submitted months earlier,” he said.

Rasheed noted that during the meeting, prominent officials, including the Vice Chancellor of Osun State University, were allegedly listed as ghost workers, raising doubts about the accuracy of the report.

He further claimed that the consulting firm admitted that the payroll system it developed was not ready for implementation and had not been tested elsewhere in the country.

“Which governor would impose an untested system on his state?” he asked, adding that the administration opted instead to adopt the World Bank-supported State Integrated Financial Management Information System (SIFMIS), which he said had been developed earlier but left unused by the previous government.

Rasheed said a review committee comprising representatives of the consulting firm, civil society groups and other stakeholders was set up to examine the findings. However, he alleged that the firm boycotted the committee’s meetings.

According to him, the committee discovered that the figure of 15,000 alleged ghost workers was inaccurate, finding fewer than 500 unaccounted names.

He also accused the consultant of acting unprofessionally by secretly recording and taking photographs and videos during a meeting with the governor and his brother.

Rasheed disclosed that Governor Adeleke has written to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), requesting investigations into both the Sally Tibbot report and the findings of the re-verification committee.

“The anti-graft agencies will probe the payroll of the Oyetola administration. Key officials, including the former finance commissioner, will provide details regarding the alleged discrepancies,” he said.

He added that the state government has since cleaned up the payroll system, which now operates under SIFMIS with enhanced internal capacity and efficiency within the World Bank framework.

Rasheed reiterated that the governor has nothing to hide and remains committed to transparency and accountability in the management of the state’s finances.