The Vice Chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Clement Adebooye, has threatened to institute legal action against Sally Tibbot Ltd, a consulting firm, if it fails to tender a formal apology over allegations that about 250 staff members of the institution were classified as ghost workers.
Adebooye issued the warning during a press conference in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
The consulting firm had been engaged by the Osun State Government in 2023 to conduct a statewide staff audit aimed at identifying and removing ghost workers from the government payroll.
Speaking on Channels Television, the Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Sa’adat Bakrin-Ottun, claimed that about 15,000 ghost workers and retirees were still on the state’s payroll, alleging that the government had not acted on the findings.
Reacting to the development, Adebooye said he personally participated in the verification exercise conducted by the firm but was surprised to find his name included in the list of ghost workers.
“The governing council and management of Osun State University view the consultant’s report as being precariously subjective, in bad faith, unprofessional and a deliberate attempt to smear the image and reputation of the university with falsehood and malice,” he said.
He explained that about 250 members of staff, including senior academics, were wrongly categorised, noting that the consultant appeared not to understand university employment structures such as sabbatical leave, study leave, visiting lecturer arrangements and research leave.
“The university unequivocally questions the methodological basis upon which the ghost workers list was drawn, particularly in the light of documented evidence of physical verification,” the VC added.
Adebooye further disclosed that since the report became public, he and other professors had been receiving “embarrassing telephone calls, messages and letters from local and international organisations.”
He warned that the university would not hesitate to approach the court if the firm failed to apologise and retract what he described as a damaging report.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Government has dismissed the consultant’s broader claim of 15,000 ghost workers.
The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, accused the firm of inflating the figures in order to earn higher commission.
