UniOsun faults ‘ghost worker’ claims, says 250 staff are legitimate, threatens legal action

Osun State University (UNIOSUN) and its Vice-Chancellor, Odunayo Clement Adebooye, have strongly rejected claims by Sally Tibbot Consulting that 250 members of the institution’s staff – including the Vice-Chancellor – are “ghost workers.”

Describing the audit report as “unprofessional, fraudulent, and misleading,” the university threatened legal action against the consulting firm and demanded a formal public apology.

Speaking at a press briefing held at the university’s main campus in Osogbo on Saturday, Professor Adebooye addressed the controversy surrounding the 2023 Osun State personnel verification exercise. He stressed that the university’s response was guided by transparency, accountability and a commitment to setting the record straight.

“Our response is not political,” he said. “It is about clarifying facts and defending the integrity of our staff, whose professionalism has been wrongly questioned.”

Faulty audit exercise

According to the Vice-Chancellor, the statewide verification exercise conducted in May and June 2023 was riddled with operational and methodological flaws.

He explained that UNIOSUN’s entire workforce – 1,017 academic, administrative and support staff at the time – was directed to report for verification in a single day, August 18, 2023, at the State Secretariat, alongside employees from other government agencies.

“The consultant’s personnel were grossly inadequate and unskilled to cope with the large number of staff,” he said. “Professors and other staff queued for hours under the scorching sun. The process was chaotic, demeaning and completely unprofessional.”

Professor Adebooye further accused the consultant of misconduct during the exercise, alleging that she insulted a university professor, an incident that reportedly sparked outrage and led to her being summoned by the Osun State House of Assembly. He said the Assembly subsequently suspended the audit exercise pending further review.

Misclassification of legitimate staff

The Vice-Chancellor said the consultant demonstrated a lack of understanding of university operations by failing to properly account for staff on sabbatical, study leave, research leave and visiting appointments.

As a result, he said, 250 legitimate staff members, including himself, were wrongly classified as ghost workers.

“This is not just an error; it is an affront to the dignity and professionalism of our staff,” he said. “The categorisation appears to have been based not on verifiable evidence but on a predetermined agenda.”

He added that staff who had retired, resigned or exited service between the previous audit in 2022 and the latest exercise were also wrongly included in the ghost worker list.

The report, he maintained, was “subjective, made in bad faith, and a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image and reputation of the university.”

Payroll system defended

Professor Adebooye insisted that UNIOSUN operates a strict payroll system subject to statutory oversight and monthly verification. He disclosed that the institution runs a real-time “Salary Checker” mechanism designed to ensure that only duly certified staff receive payment.

“Our system does not allow salary padding, let alone ghost workers,” he said.

He stated that the university currently has 1,463 personnel across six campuses, comprising 628 academic staff, 466 non-teaching staff, 235 support staff and 134 NYSC members.

The Vice-Chancellor also criticised the audit process for allegedly denying the university the opportunity to review and respond to findings before finalisation, contrary to standard auditing practice, which typically includes the issuance of a management letter for clarification.

Demand for apology, legal recourse

UNIOSUN has formally demanded a public apology from Sally Tibbot Consulting, warning that failure to comply may result in legal proceedings.

Professor Adebooye expressed concern over the reputational damage caused by the report, citing numerous inquiries from local and international organisations seeking clarification.

“Universities are custodians of knowledge and character,” he said. “Allegations capable of diminishing institutional reputation must be subjected to rigorous verification before being made public.”

Despite the controversy, he reaffirmed the institution’s openness to independent scrutiny.

“We remain open 24/7 to any lawful, properly constituted and professionally conducted review,” he said. “Our records are impeccable, and any independent audit will confirm this.”

Also speaking at the briefing, Comrade John Adeboye – whose name allegedly appeared on the ghost worker list – expressed shock at the classification. Adeboye, Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) at UNIOSUN and Deputy Registrar as well as College Secretary, College of Health Sciences, described the audit as incompetent and haphazard.

He said he had served as a pioneer staff member of the institution since 2007 and questioned the consultant’s capacity to handle such an assignment.

Professor Adebooye concluded by reiterating that the university would pursue all lawful and institutional remedies to protect its name and that of its staff, insisting that the audit report was “a useless document” that cannot withstand professional scrutiny.