A fresh controversy has erupted in Osun State following allegations of a N13.7 billion payroll fraud, a claim the state government has strongly denied and described as politically motivated.

However, the All Progressives Congress (APC), which levelled the allegation following an audit initiated by the state government, has insisted that the development raises serious accountability questions.

At a press conference in Osogbo on Friday, the state APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, described the alleged N13.7 billion fraud as “mind-boggling,” saying it reflects deeper governance concerns.

Lawal called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to conduct a comprehensive probe and ensure that anyone found culpable is prosecuted.

He further alleged possible involvement of individuals within the administration’s inner circle, including a businessman, Deji Adeleke, and the governor’s Chief of Staff, Kazeem Akinleye, urging authorities to clarify their roles in the handling of the audit report.

According to the opposition party, the audit reportedly uncovered cases of multiple salary payments and irregular payroll entries, including claims that a single civil servant may have received funds linked to thousands of workers — allegations it said require urgent clarification.

Lawal also questioned the procurement of an automated payroll system, calling for full disclosure on its cost and implementation.

While the APC maintains that the allegations warrant urgent investigation to restore public confidence, the state government insists the claims are misleading and politically driven.

The government said there was no N13 billion payroll scam, insisting that any irregularities uncovered in the payroll system predated the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke and should be traced to the tenure of former governor Gboyega Oyetola.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, the government maintained that verification of the controversial staff audit showed that more than two-thirds of those initially tagged as “ghost workers” were genuine employees with proper documentation.

Alimi reiterated that Governor Adeleke remains open to investigations by the EFCC and the ICPC, stressing that the audit itself was initiated by the current administration to sanitise the payroll.

According to the government, the review process found that out of 8,448 workers earlier listed as “unseen,” 8,015 were confirmed active, while 433 could not be reached. Among 6,713 retirees flagged as ghost pensioners, 5,830 were verified, leaving 883 unaccounted for.

Officials also alleged that the consulting firm involved in the audit inflated the number of ghost workers to about 15,000, which would have justified a consultancy fee of nearly ?2 billion, but that after corrections, the payment was reduced to about N47 million. (The Guardian)

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