The Lagos State Water Corporation has terminated the employment of 450 staff members.
Casual workers, in particular, were caught off guard as they received sack letters on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, accompanied by an ultimatum to return all government property under their care.
Anonymous sources revealed to Punch in an interview that many of the affected employees had dedicated several years to the corporation, making the sudden layoffs all the more devastating. The undisclosed insider suggested that the state government’s decision to restructure was a driving force behind the staff reduction.
The source said
“Nobody knew this was going to happen. We were all shocked that a large number of people could be sacked in a day. Currently, these waterworks no longer have casual workers.
“One of my friends was affected by the decision. She has a family she is taking care of. She doesn’t even know where to start. She left the office weeping last week. Even if they are going to sack anyone, they should have given people more time to find alternatives.
“We don’t have enough staff. As big as this place is, only one person is left to clean it. There were many of us at the maintenance units before. They said they are restructuring, but how many staff will need to be sacked before this is accomplished?”
Addressing the situation, Kehinde Fashola, the Public Relations Officer of Lagos State Water Corporation, confirmed the layoffs, stating that some workers were let go due to breaches of the contract agreement.
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She said,
“The government found out that the Lagos Water management contract staff members have not been in accordance with the contract appointment law. Some of them have been contract staff for 10 years and some for five years, which is not in accordance with the country’s labour law.
“The normal time is two years. So, the government is trying to correct any abnormality without any bias.”