Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly has condemned the malicious acts of State street sweepers’ over the viral video protest on social media aimed at blackmailing and embarrassing the State Government over alleged delayed salaries.
He opined that the issue of State street sweepers’ initiative is a sympathetic and humanitarian gesture to provide employment opportunities for teeming residents of the State and discourage crimes.
“We need to condemn the acts of those behind the video. There are so many channels that can be explored to get attention and correct agitations relating to their delayed salaries. Around the beginning of the lockdown, delayed payment of salaries affected every part of the system in Lagos State.” Obasa said.
“The House Committee on Environment must look into these agitations and those who are behind these acts should be brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.” He said.
Hon. Desmond Elliot who moved the motion during Plenary on Monday shed light on the Cleaner Lagos Initiatives that Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA employs over 20,000 Sanitation Corp Marshalls, Highway Sweepers, Marine Schemes and PSP Operators. LAWMA contracts street sweepers’ from contractors called CEOs and they are paid to pay the sweepers’ salaries.
“During the height of COVID-19, Lagos State suffered a loss from low Internal Generated Revenue, IGR and it was on the contractors to have palliative measures to solve the situation and to have some bulk of control over their sweepers’ but this was not done.”
“Lagos Assembly has always been a listening House that prides itself as an institution above common standards of excellence and there is hardly any petition that is not handled. So we want to appeal that people go through all the appropriate channels and measures whenever they have grievances, displeasure or challenges.” He said.
Hon. Rotimi Olowo who commended Mr. Governor on the Cleaner Lagos Initiatives said, the initiative is crucial now as Lagos is below sea level and it is a statutory responsibility of the House Committee on Environment to execute its oversight functions by investigating the matter.
Hon. Jude Idimogu added that as a keen observer of the street sweepers’ activities, he noted that there has been an upgrade to their work ethics due to their empowerment by the State Government.
In line with the submissions of other Members, Hon. Adewale Temitope stated that the State Government is not the defaulter in question but the Chief Executive of all Sweepers’ Company, CEO contractors who have misled the media into blackmailing that government are at fault.
The House thereby in addition, resolves to commend the effort of the Lagos State Government on the Cleaner Lagos Initiative, also emphasizes the policing and enforcement of PSP Highway Managers be given adequate attention, as well as call on Mr. Governor to direct the Ministry of Information and Strategy to sensitize members of the public on the need to dispose their refuse properly.
