The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on Governor Ademola Adeleke to step down over an alleged N13 billion payroll fraud reportedly uncovered in the state’s civil service during a staff audit conducted by Sally Tibbot Consulting (Nig.) Ltd.
The party also urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to launch a comprehensive investigation into the alleged fraud.
According to reports, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the consulting firm, Sa’adat Bakrin-Ottun—engaged by the Osun State Government in January 2023—disclosed that the government was allegedly paying N13,716,914,129.28 annually to ghost workers. Her findings reportedly revealed widespread payroll irregularities across the state’s civil and public service.
She further alleged that her audit report, submitted to the governor and his elder brother, Adedeji Adeleke, indicated that one individual received salaries meant for 5,615 ghost workers into a single bank account.
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Osogbo on Friday, the party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Olabisi, insisted that anti-corruption agencies must intensify their efforts to uncover those allegedly siphoning the state’s resources.
He claimed that the alleged involvement of Dr. Deji Adeleke, along with the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, and other members of the governor’s inner circle, raises serious concerns. According to him, it suggests that individuals outside formal state structures may have colluded with officials entrusted with governance over the past three years to deprive residents of Osun State and unlawfully enrich themselves.
“It is particularly disturbing that the audit findings were reportedly presented to Dr. Deji Adeleke, a member of the Adeleke family, while the elected governor appeared sidelined. This situation raises concerns about authority and accountability within the administration, and we therefore call for his resignation,” he stated.
He further called on statutory anti-corruption agencies—especially the ICPC and the EFCC—to thoroughly probe the alleged payroll fraud and determine the level of responsibility of all those implicated, particularly Dr. Deji Adeleke and Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye.
He also posed critical questions: Who has been benefiting from the alleged fraudulent payments? And why has no decisive action been taken since the report was reportedly submitted in July 2024?
“The people of Osun deserve clear explanations as to why the administration has not fully implemented the recommendations of the audit report to stop the alleged fraud,” he added.