Public sector workers in Lagos State have been charged to redouble their efforts to boost productivity and render selfless quality services to Lagosians in order to reciprocate Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s approval of N35, 000 new minimum wage for them.
A former commissioner for public transportation in the state, Chief Lanre Razak, who gave the charge in an interview with journalists in Ikeja on Tuesday, further commended the state government for the current massive construction work on some major highways aimed at easing traffic congestion and bringing permanent relief to residents.
It would be recalled that Sanwo-Olu had through a circular signed by the State Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, recently approved N35, 000 new minimum wage for civil servants which is N5,000 above the N30,000 national benchmark which the Federal Government and labour leaders agreed upon.
But reacting to the pay rise, Razak, also the Balogun General of Epe, e noted that the gesture was a further demonstration of the administration’s commitment to staff welfare in a bid to making the state’s civil service second to none among the 36 states, adding that public servants owe it a duty to reciprocate the gesture by showing more dedication to duty and rendering qualitative public services to the citizens of Lagos.
According to him, Governor Sanwo-Olu by ‘’committing his administration to paying the highest minimum wage to workers in the state has not only demonstrated his belief that the civil service is the engine room of government’s developmental agenda and growth but the primacy of human capital in the successful implementation of THEMES Agenda.
‘’By this development, the governor has sent clear a message that he means well for the workers and Lagosians following the overwhelming mandate freely given to him by the electorate in March and determined to implement people-oriented policies and programmes in line with the All Progressives Congress, APC manifesto and the Next Level Agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government aimed at making life more meaningful to citizens.
“I want to appeal to public servants to give unalloyed support to the state government, to actualize set goals. It should no longer be business as usual and I expect our workers to be fully committed to their responsibilities to increase productivity and make the people feel more impact of good governance across the state.
“I have no iota of doubt in my mind that Lagos workers are the best civil servants in the country and I am confident that they will not disappoint the Sanwo-Olu led administration in his efforts to take the state to the Next Level in public administration and infrastructural transformation of Lagos state’’, he stated.
Meanwhile, Razak who is also a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC has expressed satisfaction with the pace of construction work on various dilapidated highways and carriages in the state, noting that road users are beginning to get relief while plying the critical roads.
He said the declaration of a state of emergency on the affected highways by government and subsequent commencement of major construction work by the contractors was yielding positive fruits adding that Lagosians will heave a sigh of relief upon the completion of the projects.
To complement the major construction work on the highways, the State Public Works Corporation was earlier directed to carry out repairs of 116 inner roads across the state while critical highways and roads being constructed include Ojota stretch of the Ikorodu road, Motorways-Kudirat Abiola way, Apogbon highway, Babs Animashaun road, Agric/Ishawo road and Ijede road in Ikorodu, and Lekki-Epe expressway from Abraham Adesanya to Eleko junction.
Razak also called on the people of the state especially taxpayers to continue to give maximum support to the government through prompt payment of rates and taxes in order to generate revenue for the implementation of development programmes.
