The Ondo State Government has inaugurated a staff audit and verification team for Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), as part of efforts to strengthen accountability and ensure accurate personnel records in the institution.
The exercise, announced in a circular signed by the university’s Registrar, Olugbenga Arajulu, is scheduled to take place from Monday, October 20, to Thursday, October 23, 2025. It will involve the verification of all academic and non-academic staff across various faculties, departments, and administrative units.
According to the circular, the audit will commence with staff members in the Faculties of Administration and Management, Sciences, Agriculture, Allied and Health Sciences, Arts, Education, Environmental Design and Management, Computing, and Law on Monday.
On Tuesday, verification will cover staff in the University Library, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, Academic Planning, University Advancement Office, and the AAUA Business School.
The circular further outlined that personnel in the Registry, Bursary, Works and Services, Physical Planning and Development, Student Affairs, Institute of Education (IOE), Institute of Part-Time Programmes (IPTP), General Studies (GST), ICT Application Centre (ICTAC), Gender Studies and Development Centre, Distance Learning Centre, Central Research Laboratory, and Quality Assurance Unit will be verified on Wednesday.
The final day, Thursday, will cover staff from the Sports Centre, Centre for Entrepreneurship, Centre for Drug Development and Administration, Centre for Space Energy and Environmental Research, Centre for Pre-Degree Studies, and the Security Unit. Other offices scheduled for verification include the Internal Audit, Health Centre, Postgraduate School, Centre for Research and Development, Fire Service, Centre for Linkages and International Programmes, Teaching and Leadership Centre, University Staff School, and the Students’ Indsutrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).
The university also listed several documents required for the verification and biometric exercise. These include letters of appointment and confirmation of appointment, promotion and advancement/conversion letters, as well as academic certificates from the ordinary level to the highest qualification obtained. Others are approval for change of name, Bank Verification Number (BVN) printout, National Identification Number (NIN) printout, primary school leaving certificate, birth certificate, and any other relevant credentials.
The management advised all members of staff to adhere strictly to the timetable and ensure they appear at the verification venue with the required documents.
The verification exercise, according to observers, is part of a broader reform agenda by the Ondo State Government aimed at sanitizing the payroll system in its tertiary institutions, curbing ghost worker syndrome, and enhancing administrative transparency.
Stakeholders believe that the process will help the university update its personnel database, strengthen internal control mechanisms, and ensure that only duly verified staff benefit from the institution’s payroll.
The state government has in recent years carried out similar exercises across its ministries and agencies to promote efficiency and accountability in the public sector. The exercise at AAUA is expected to align the university’s staffing records with global best practices and improve human resource management within the institution.
