November 3, 2014 – Tens of Street Sweepers disengaged by the Lagos State Government on Monday stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) protesting refusal of the Lagos State Government to pay their severance package.
The former workers who armed themselves with placards such as “Fashola Please Help Us, Some of Us Are Widows; We Need Your Help Mr. Governor : LAWMA please pay us our money : Fashola please come to our rescue”, among others said they engaged by the Lagos State Minister of Environment as non-Permanent staff before they were verbally transferred to the Lagos State Waste Management Agency(LAWMA).
Speaking in behalf of the aggrieved former workers, Mr. Shaka Taiwo Ibrahim told reporters that they were receiving N10,000 when they were employed in 2010 by the Ministry of Environment adding that as soon as they were transferred to the LAWMA, N2,000 was added to their monthly salary making it N12,000. He said they were protesting because they have not been settled since 201 when they were disengaged.
“We are protesting because they cannot send us away empty handed after working for eight years. We were given appointment letter.
Even when they sent us away, they collected our ID card, they collected our names and up till now, nothing has happened”, he said. He said that LAWMA paid their salaries for about six months after which they were asked to pack their baggage and leave.
Taiwo revealed that they were about 1000 sweepers that were disengaged adding that at the time they were sacked in 2010, they protested and an official of the Lagos State House of Assembly contacted General Manager, LAWMA , Dr. Ola Oresanya leading to their invitation to Ijora office where some of them about 40 were paid N40,000 as severance package.
He explained that as soon as they were informed, they contacted LAWMA, whom he said held a meeting with them in Ijora but said he was not owing them unless he decides to pay them on humanitarian ground.
He appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola to intervene and ensure that they receive their severance package adding that some of them are widow that need the money to take care of themselves.
He alleged that they were disturbed that Shashore, a LAWMA official paid them half of their salary the very month that they were disengaged from service.
