The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has reiterated that the ongoing staff audit exercise in the state public service is not a witch-hunt. He has also assured the state workforce that the audit will enhance the capacity of the state government to meet the needs of workers, the public, and the state leadership.
Addressing the public during the flagging off of the exercise in Osogbo, Governor Adeleke emphasized that his administration considers workers’ welfare as a top priority. He stated that no action will be taken to negatively impact both formal and informal workers.
The exercise aims to fill existing vacancies within the education, health, and other sub-sectors in the state. It also aims to clean up the payroll system, validate the actual number of state workforce, and identify areas of vacancies across various sectors of the public service.
In his speech, Governor Adeleke said, “We are ascertaining the number of teachers we need in our schools. Our team is checking out the number of science, English, mathematics, social science, and other teachers, as well as which schools require specific types of teachers.”
Assuring the public, the governor affirmed that his administration is aware of the existing vacancies in schools and health facilities. He added that the audit report will provide a foundation for the recruitment of new teachers and health workers once the exercise is completed.
It is important to note that the staff audit exercise initially faced opposition from the labour force in Osun State, who claimed that the state government did not consult or involve them in the decision-making process.
Previously, Governor Adeleke, upon assuming office in November 2022, suspended the newly recruited health workers and teachers employed by his predecessor, Adegboyega Oyetola. To address this issue, he established a committee to review the recruitment procedures and prepare a white paper.
