19th February, 2012
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Sunday met with the State’s Street Sweepers and Highway Managers as well as Private Service Providers (PSP) saying there was need for them to rededicate themselves to the cause of sustaining the successes already achieved and to improve on it.
Governor Fashola, who addressed the Sweepers and others at the Onikan Stadium in Central Lagos, promised that with improved service delivery the welfare of the Sweepers in terms of remuneration, insurance, transport benefits and subsidies would be improved.
The Governor, however, warned that Government would terminate the contract of any service provider organisation which fails to properly supervise its staff and maintain proper sanitation in the area allocated to it noting that some parts of the metropolis were yet to meet the required sanitation standard.
He told the thousands of Sweepers dressed in their reflective work dresses, “We are going to increase the salary and we will continue to review it upward as we go along until we get the optimum team and the optimum efficiency that we desire.”
But he warned, “We are going to hold Street Sweepers and Service Providers to account. Any street, any location where we see default, you have lost that contract and we will re-award it to someone else who will do a good job.”
Governor Fashola, who told them that he has already approved the increase to their salary, however, declined to announce the new salary saying, “I have increased your salary but when I see improvement, it will come into effect. That is why I started by saying ‘a good job and a fair pay’.
“We expect you now to be much more involved. Anywhere we see non-compliance, we terminate the contract. We are here for serious business and all of you must see this as a serious business; a very important job to me and you must do it with passion and diligence. The days of ‘whether I work or don’t work, I will get paid’ are over.”
While emphasising the need to prepare early for this year’s rains, Governor Fashola declared, “We need to prepare early for the rains, much more early than we even thought because we are already seeing early rains.”
He emphasised the need to improve attitudes generally, urging the people to spread the advocacy, within their communities, of keeping the drains and canals free of refuse and things that could obstruct the free flow of flood water.
The Governor explained that flash flood is a natural occurrence after the rains depending on how heavy or light the rain is pointing out that, although it occurs after the rains, it normally recede through the various channels provided for it.
Fielding questions from newsmen later on the necessity of the meeting, Governor Fashola declared, “It is a family meeting to urge them to rededicate themselves to the cause of sustaining the successes that have been achieved. We are never satisfied. We want to make it better.
“It is about improved service delivery to the people of Lagos and, of course, a commitment also to ensure that as they improve service delivery, their welfare in terms of monthly remuneration, insurance cover, transportation benefits and subsidies will be improved. It is only by this kind of partnership that we can make it better.”
Earlier, the Sweepers, while thanking the Governor for his good works, had enjoined him to improve their welfare package in terms of salaries., insurance cover and transportation pointing out that the partial removal of oil subsidy had affected their pockets.
A representative of the PSP, Apostle Akin Adewale, in his remarks thanked the Governor for his dedication to the sanitation of Lagos promising that they would continue to partner with the Government to ensure the optimum cleanliness of the State.
Also present at the occasion were the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, the Managing Director of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, (LAWMA), Mr. Ola Oresanya, the Street Sweepers and Highway Managers in their large numbers, representatives of the PSP and other top government officials.