The Auditor-General of Osun State, Kolapo Idris, has said that over N53 million was recovered from over-payment to retirees, premature promotion, penalty from insufficient notice of retirement and over-payment of salary. He disclosed this, yesterday, in Ede, while presenting financial statement and audited account of the state government, spanning January to December 2023.

Idris said that the pension unit in the Office of the Auditor-General (State) is charged with the responsibility of examining, vetting and approving state public offices, public schools, tertiary institutions and state parastatals, whose officials retired within the public services.

He stated: “During the year under review (January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023), the unit received retirees pension files of 437. However, 300 files were cleared without issues while 137 files were queried on various grounds with penalties as stated in extant circulars and laws details.”

“A sum of N9,899,515.94 was recovered on premature promotions, N19,905,615.20 was recovered as penalty from insufficient notice of retirement and overpayment of salary, N2,388,075.17 was recovered from retirees that had break in service. A sum of N20,896,477.51 was recovered from retirees that overstayed their service.

“The total sum of N53,089,683.52, which would have been paid out to retirees as over-payment by the state government was recovered as a result of the audit during the year under review.

In his remarks, the state’s Head of Service (HoS), Ayanleye Aina, said the presentation of the audited report clearly demonstrated the commitment of Governor Ademola Adeleke to probity, transparency, and accountability. He said: “Let me also point out that what we are doing today is part of the World Bank-asserted reforms of this process in the state which I was part of. This is one reform that has possibly impacted on our processes in the state on the hoarding process.

That the governor has continued the programme is a pointer to the fact that he is genuinely committed to good governance and that he has nothing to hide as far as the finances of the state are concerned.