By Waliu Adetokun,Osogbo
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has expressed support for calls urging anti-corruption agencies to review the state’s controversial staff audit report.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the governor welcomed the appeal by Sally Tibbot Limited for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to examine the audit findings.
Governor Adeleke maintained that both agencies are at liberty to scrutinise the report, noting that the payroll and personnel records reviewed during the audit were inherited from the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
“What they will be checking and reviewing was the inherited payroll and personnel list from Oyetola’s administration,” the statement quoted the governor as saying.
He further stressed that his administration neither expanded the personnel structure nor altered the payroll system it inherited.
According to him, the audit focused strictly on the payroll and staffing framework established under the previous government.
Governor Adeleke also stated that his administration declined to implement certain recommendations allegedly proposed by the consulting firm, which he said included laying off legitimate workers. He argued that rejecting such proposals helped to prevent potential abuse while efforts were ongoing to sanitise the system.
“We stopped likely fraud even while pushing to clean up the system,” he said, reiterating his commitment to transparency and accountability in the management of state resources.
The governor therefore welcomed a comprehensive review of the audit report by the EFCC and ICPC, adding that officials of the immediate past administration should be prepared for any outcome of the exercise.
The development follows ongoing public debate over the findings and implications of the staff audit conducted in Osun State.
