A forensic audit firm, SALLY TIBBOT Consulting Limited, has accused the Osun State Government of inserting 8,452 ghost workers into the state payroll, resulting in an estimated annual loss of ₦13.72 billion. The audit, conducted between June and December 2023, revealed that the state’s payroll stood at ₦4.48 billion monthly, covering 37,456 staff and 17,918 pensioners. However, after verification, the genuine payroll was reduced to ₦3.34 billion monthly, accounting for 29,004 confirmed staff members ¹ ² ³.
The Osun State Government has disputed these figures, claiming that a re-verification exercise showed only 1,316 individuals couldn’t be verified. The government accuses the audit firm of inflating the numbers to increase their fees, while the firm alleges the government is trying to cover up the fraud ⁴.
Would you like to know more about the allegations or the government’s response to this scandal?
