There was confusion, yesterday, in Osun State as civil servants refused taking part in a staff audit exercise ordered by the state governor, Ademola Adeleke.

The verification exercise commenced few days ago at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding.

The exercise continued yesterday, with workers of the Hospitals Management Board expected to appear before an auditing consultant hired by the state government.

Few hours after workers had converged on the venue for the exercise, it was gathered that some became uncomfortable with the process and disagreed with the consultant on mode and other logistics adopted.

Consequently, the area became rowdy as some workers started singing solidarity songs, declaring they are no longer interested in the process.

The angry workers parked their academic credentials and left the venue.

Recall that the academic and non-academic staff of the state tertiary institutions had called on the state government to decentralise the planned staff audit.

The unions, however, threatened to embark on an industrial action if the consulting firm fails to put their concerns into consideration.

The institutions’ unions, in a letter by their chairmen and secretaries, addressed to the governor, called for immediate decentralisation of the statewide staff audit.

The Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Fatai Afolabi, said Adeleke should direct the consulting firm on the need to decentralise the exercise.

Fatai, who spoke on behalf of other union leaders, further said that conducting the entire exercise at one venue would be burdensome on workers, especially at this period people are grappling with economic hardship occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal.

Meanwhile, Adeleke, yesterday, refuted claims in some quarters that his government is planning to re-introduce half salary payment to workers.

A statement by the spokesperson to the governor, Olawale Rasheed, also debunked speculations that the governor is making plans to sack workers.

He dismissed the rumours, which was allegedly being peddled by a group within the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, as fake news, affirming his commitment to the welfare of civil servants. (The Guardian)