The management of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has strongly rejected aspects of the 2023 Osun State staff audit report that allegedly classified 250 of its employees, including the Vice-Chancellor, as “ghost workers,” describing the document as flawed, unprofessional and damaging to the institution’s reputation.
Addressing journalists at a press conference held on Saturday, 21st February,2026 at the University’s main campus in Osogbo, the Vice-Chancellor, Odunayo Clement Adebooye, said the institution convened the briefing to clarify what he termed “lingering controversies” arising from the May/June 2023 statewide personnel verification exercise conducted by the Osun State Government through Sally Tibbot Consulting.
According to Adebooye, the consultant’s report listed 250 legitimate UNIOSUN staff members — including himself, as ghost workers, despite their physical presence and participation in the verification process.
“This briefing is a measured institutional response grounded in facts, professional standards, and the responsibility we owe to our staff, students and the public,” the Vice-Chancellor stated. “We have no political interest whatsoever. Our concern is institutional integrity.”
The Vice-Chancellor alleged that the verification process was operationally flawed, noting that all 1,017 university staff members as of August 2023 were scheduled for screening in a single day, Friday, August 18, 2023, alongside workers from other state parastatals at the State Secretariat.
He described the exercise as chaotic, claiming that personnel deployed by the consulting firm were inadequate and unskilled to manage the large turnout, resulting in prolonged waiting under harsh weather conditions.
Adebooye further accused the consultant of exhibiting unprofessional conduct during the exercise, an incident he said generated public outcry and was widely reported in the media. The controversy, he added, led to the consultant’s invitation by the Osun State House of Assembly on August 22, 2023, after which the exercise was reportedly suspended.
The University also questioned the methodology adopted in compiling the list of alleged ghost workers. According to Adebooye, employees on sabbatical leave, study leave, research leave and visiting appointments were allegedly categorized as non-existent staff, despite official documentation submitted to the auditors.
He maintained that staff who had retired or resigned between the 2022 and 2023 audits were also allegedly merged into the ghost worker category instead of being netted out of the workforce records.
“It is unacceptable for an audit report to be insulated against review by the principal,” Adebooye said, arguing that standard audit practice requires the issuance of a management letter for institutional response before finalization of reports.
Reaffirming UNIOSUN’s internal accountability mechanisms, the Vice-Chancellor said the institution operates a monthly verification system known as the “Salary Checker,” which certifies staff eligibility before salary disbursement each month.
He disclosed that the University currently has 1,463 workers across its six campuses, comprising 628 academic staff, 466 non-teaching staff, 235 support staff and 134 National Youth Service Corps members.
“Our payroll system, personnel documentation and administrative procedures are subject to statutory oversight and monthly review by relevant authorities,” he said. “Our system does not allow salary padding, let alone ghost workers.”
Adebooye said the University has demanded a formal apology from Sally Tibbot Consulting, noting that the audit report had subjected senior academics and administrators to reputational embarrassment both locally and internationally.
He added that the University reserves the right to pursue further action within the bounds of Nigerian law if necessary.
“We remain fully open to any lawful, properly constituted and professionally conducted review by competent authorities,” he said. “Any independent reassessment carried out in compliance with recognized auditing standards will confirm the accuracy of our records.”
The Vice-Chancellor concluded by urging stakeholders to approach the matter with professionalism and factual rigor, stressing that universities, as custodians of knowledge and character, must not be subjected to unverified allegations capable of undermining institutional credibility.
As of the time of filing this report, Sally Tibbot Consulting had not publicly responded to the University’s latest demand for apology.
