The son of the Oyo state Head of Service (HoS), Ayobami Agboola, has been caught in a web of providing and aiding ‘ghost workers’ in the state’s civil service commission.
The allegation was levelled against him by one Twitter Influencer, Sulaimon Adesola who had worked with Agboola on several projects. The secret became public knowledge after he and his accuser disagreed online over the response of the Oyo government to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a series of Twitter reactions between Anti and Pro- Makinde administration, Agboola condemned his friend for criticising the Seyi Makinde government because he could not secure a “ghost job” which he requested.
Following the accusation that Adesola requested to be a ghost worker in the Oyo state, the Twitter Influencer quickly shared screenshots of their conversation on Twitter and how the son of the Oyo Head of Service promised to help him make enquires about the mode and requirement to be a ghost worker in the state within the state payroll that period. The conversation happened in May 2019, few days after Engr Seyi Makinde was sworn in as governor.
Screenshot of their bants
The small quarrel between @Advsola and @dondekojo isn't even the issue, the scary bit are
1. The existence of #ghostWorkerSlot in Oyo State.2. Some young people who come on social media to preach good governance are actually enablers of such evil practice.
3. #Gbogboyinlole pic.twitter.com/jPxtu5iqbn
— Káyọ̀dé Ògúndámisí 🇳🇬 (@ogundamisi) May 9, 2020
Defending his role in the job scandal, Agboola said he truly promised is online Influencer friend, Adesola a “ghost worker” slot to keep him in his “team”.
“He approached me and I held him on because he was working for me. He was doing a pro-bono job for me and I wanted to keep his hope alive which he was never going to get,” he said.
When asked about the nature of the pro-bono job, Agboola said: “He worked on social media campaigns for me and I felt the best way to keep him happy is to promise him a job,” he told Premium Times in a phone conversation.
Ololade Agboola, Oyo HoS
Few days before leaving office, former governor Abiola Ajimobi appointed Ololade Agboola as Oyo Head of Service. Agboola was a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Sports. She replaced a loyal and powerful schemer in Ajimobi’s government, Hannah Ogunesan, who had resigned from the state civil service.
Apart from being the Head of Service, she is the wife of a former Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Hosea Agboola, popularly known as ‘Halleluyah.’ Halleluyah is one of the top guns in Makinde’s government. He is the Chairman of Advisory council and recently appointed caretaker chairman of the Ekiti chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Ghost workers in Oyo civil service
In November 2019, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State announced that his administration had started the process of verifying workers that receive payment from the state without working. He appointed Sally Tibbot Consultant to do the job of cleaning and detecting fraud in the payroll system.
He had said the process was to address ghost workers who continue to receive payment for work no one is doing. A practice that has been ingrained at the state and federal levels of the country for years.
Makinde’s decision to have his administration take a stand against this was met with a lot of positive responses on social media.
Speaking while inaugurating Sally Tibbot Consultant last year, the Head of Service, Mrs. Ololade Agboola, said no civil servant, public servant or pensioner would be treated unfairly by the exercise, adding that the target was to improve workers’ welfare.
Oyo Govt Keeps Mum
In the 24 hours since the gist broke out on Twitter, Oyo state government has not reacted or make any release concerning the issue.
#GhostWorkerSlot Still Trending – Some reactions
Did anyone else notice how quiet all these your opinionated influencers were after the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Ghost Worker Recruitment admitted he has #GhostWorkerSlot in a state his mother is Head of Service? Will they have been silent if it's Kaduna/Lagos?
— El Commandante® (@MrLekanAdigun) May 9, 2020
That mood when you hear your favorite twitter influencer/activist that criticise Buhari day and night on good governance is chief racketeer of #GhostWorkerSlot in Oyo state. " SAD"😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/eJSuxmOK1R
— Awosh🇳🇬🇳🇬 (@desenator1212) May 9, 2020
"When dem dey write the next list I will let you know, my guy wey dey write am before been retire"
Written on 31st May 2019 for d next compilation of #GhostWorkerSlot in Oyo State.
Seems it was an established "legit" stuff known to THEM.
THEY called it GHOST IN GOVERNMENT "gig" pic.twitter.com/ycMhRSF3CJ— Taiwo_Ajakaye (@dmightyangel) May 9, 2020
They call themselves Twitter Influenzas but they are nothing more than defeated political lobbyists & thieves!#GhostWorkerSlot #GhostWorkerSlot#GhostWorkerSlot #GhostWorkerSlot#GhostWorkerSlot #GhostWorkerSlot#GhostWorkerSlot #GhostWorkerSlothttps://t.co/dgFrXPaG3e
— Olufunke Lawson (@bravefacefunkie) May 9, 2020
A lot has been happening in Oyo state. In case you missed it, here is the #Ghostworkerslot gist a.k.a Government Gig. #GhostWorkerAdventures pic.twitter.com/euHIfR7l2m
— Inside Naija (@Insid3Naija) May 9, 2020
It is sad to wake up to the #GhostWorkerSlot. So there’s been a lucrative business where those that are connected and can, sell “Ghost Worker Slots” in the civil service. No work, but monthly salary JUST LIKE THAT! No wonder it’s difficult weeding out ghost workers. Sad! 😢😢😢
— F. I. Jumare (@asaberuwa) May 9, 2020
The Oyo State Commissioner of ”GHOST WORKERS” Idirisu Ayobami DonkeyBoy. The son of the Head of Service of Oyo state IS THIS YOU?
What a world…. I do say it shaa. Most of these YOOTHS are Bigger Thieves.
Pictures by FBI @cbngov_akin1 🌝 pic.twitter.com/Jg16wcLgRL
— CBN Governor Akinsola Akin🇳🇬 (@cbngov_akin1) May 9, 2020
