Staff Audit: Consultant Breaks Silence As Osun Assembly Takes Step

……The state House of Assembly has invited the consultant handling the ongoing staff audit in the state, Mrs. Sa’adat Bakrin-Ottun following a protest by the academic staff of the University of Osun last Friday.

She is to explain what transpired that caused confusion during the ongoing exercise at the institution.

…..The speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Adewale Egbedun, announced the decision on Saturday,

He said that the interactive session would hold on Tuesday at the assembly complex in Osogbo.

..,..According to him, the invitation is at the instance of petitions submitted to the House against her.

Egbedun said: “The assembly is expecting her to appear in person to respond to allegations leveled against her in the petitions.

“To this end, relevant stakeholders, Labour Unions and Association leaders in the ongoing Staff Audit with any information that can be helpful, are also invited.”

The staff verification exercise organised by the state government for its employees was disrupted on Friday, as staff members of Osun State University, who were being verified, accused the consultant in charge of molestation.

Staff members of the university threatened not to continue with the exercise being held at the Centre for Black Culture and Understanding, Osogbo o er the incident.

It was the second disruption that the verification would experience at the same venue, as the exercise was also suspended on the day theJudiciary staff were to be verified, following an allegation of verbal abuse against the consultant.

..,.Speaking on behalf of the staff of the university, the Secretary, Academic Staff Union of the University, UNIOSUN chapter, Dr. Damilare Adekomi, accused the consultant of calling a professor a bastard.

He also alleged that while the exercise lasted, she tormented and verbally abused the staff of the university, lowering their status.

After the intervention of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Clement Adebooye, the exercise later resumed and more staffers were verified.

…..However, in an interview with journalists, the consultant who said she did not call anybody ‘a bastard alleged that she was a subject of abuse from the staff of the university instead.

She said: “To say I am in shock is an understatement over the alleged altercation.

“I am surprised because these are university staff. Since 9 am, we were here, it has been one problem or the other.

“A staff of the university had issue with a security operative of Osun Joint Task Force..,.which I mediated. The phone was seized but I handed it over to one of the union members.

“I was walking out with the deputy VC when they refused to cooperate with the process. These people have not been cooperating with the exercise since morning which really affected us.

“One of them addressed me as bastard and I was surprised, I said, You called me bastard? I turned around and I entered my car. People heard my own side of “Oh, you called me a bastard” and turned it against me.

“Infact, the VC wanted to be upset and I told him that I am used to people. Of all the resources that we have the most difficult one to manage is the human being.

“As a human resource manager, I can’t rise to the occasion…..every time somebody upsets me. We are here willing to work under a secure environment.

“All those allegations are mere fabrications, I was the one that was insulted and also maligned but I don’t have a problem with that.

……“As a Human Resource Manager, I am used to it. My concern is that they should not attack my staff and touch our equipment.”