We were sacked without notice, LASEMA workers say

Thirty-three ad-hoc workers of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), who were relieved of their services by the new management of the agency, yesterday staged a protest to the Government House at Alausa. The emergency workers appointments were terminated penultimate Tuesday. They were said to have been employed during the last administration of Akinwunmi […]

Thirty-three ad-hoc workers of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), who were relieved of their services by the new management of the agency, yesterday staged a protest to the Government House at Alausa.

The emergency workers appointments were terminated penultimate Tuesday. They were said to have been employed during the last administration of Akinwunmi Ambode on an ad-hoc basis.

But their names were removed from the agency’s roaster immediately the new Director General of the agency, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyitolu, who was appointed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu assumed office.

But a few days after he assumed duty, the affected staffs were reportedly told by the Human Resources Department of the agency that their services were no longer needed.

The workers who were on protest to the State Governor’s office and Assembly on Monday were seen carrying placards with various inscriptions marched from Motorways road to the Governor’s office at Alausa to submit a protest letter, saying they were sacked without any notice.

Some of the inscriptions included: “We made Lagos Proud, they repaid us with sack”; “Not all superheroes wear capes, Governor Sanwo-Olu, Rt. Hon. Obama, give us back our jobs”; “Ad-hoc Staff for two years sacked without notice”; among others.

They asked the Governor and Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, to come to their aids, saying they came in as ad-hoc staff with the hope that they would be absorbed in the service only to be sacked by the new management of LASEMA.

In a protest letter submitted to the governor, they said: “We came in as Ad-hoc staff with the hope that in a couple of years, the state government would accept us into the civil service that was under Governor Ambode. Some of our colleagues that we met working here were ad-hoc staffs too; they have been employed by the government. The last General Manager tried to give us full employment, unfortunately, that could not be achieved before he was removed. So the new GM came in few weeks ago, he didn’t address us, he just said we should go home.”

The protesters were later attended to by the Political Director, office of Civic Engagement, Mr. Hundeyin Kolawole, in the governor’s office who asked them to come back on Wednesday.