… Rector, Deputy Rector, Registrar, Bursar, Profs Affected
An audit report commissioned by the Osun State Government has uncovered over 500 alleged ghost workers on the state’s payroll.
The development raises concerns about systemic fraud and irregularities across ministries and tertiary institutions.
However, the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress has vehemently denied the report .
PLATFORM TIMES reports that the audit, conducted between July and August 2023 by an external consultant, involved biometric data capture, physical verification, and the submission of credentials by civil servants and pensioner.
The verification began at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding in Osogbo and was later extended to the nine federal constituencies of the state.
Despite resistance from labour unions over fears of job losses and repeat of past experiences, the exercise proceeded.
Preliminary findings from the report, revealed massive payroll discrepancies in several institutions.
At the Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, about 280 staff members out of slightly over 300 were labelled as ghost workers — including the Rector, Deputy Rector, Registrar, and Bursar.
An affected employee of the institution, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the development, saying, “About 280 members of staff were declared ghost workers, including the institution’s top administrators.”
Similarly, the audit report on Osun State University, Osogbo, flagged approximately 257 employees, including over 100 professors, for non-existence or improper documentation.
Sources within the audit team alleged that some of the listed staff had no physical presence or verifiable documentation tying them to the institutions, suggesting a long-standing manipulation of the state’s payroll system.
However, the Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress in Osun, Christopher Arapasopo, dismissed the findings as false and misleading.
Speaking in defence of the workers, Arapasopo said, “There are no ghost workers in Osun. This report does not reflect the realities on ground and we completely reject its conclusions.”
He accused the consultants of acting in bad faith and warned against the use of the audit to victimise legitimate workers.
Efforts to get official comments from the Office of the Head of Service and the state Ministry of Finance were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
The state government is yet to officially release the audit findings or indicate whether disciplinary or legal action would follow.
However, the controversy is likely to intensify tensions between the state and organised labour as more details emerge.
Observers say the outcome of this audit could have significant implications for ongoing efforts to reform the civil service and plug financial leakages in the state.
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