FASHOLA COMMENDS STREET SWEEPERS AT THEIR 6TH SENSITIZATION WORKSHOP · Says Ebola containment would have been more difficult without the State’s high standard of environmental sanitation · Urges sweepers to vote for an All Progressives Congress government in 2015 for continuity of programme Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, on Saturday declared that but for the high standard of environmental sanitation achieved in the last six years through the contribution of the State’s Street Sweepers, the containment of the Ebola Virus Disease in the State would have been more difficult. Governor Fashola, who spoke at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos, venue of the 6th Annual Training Workshop for Street Sweepers (and other stakeholders) said the Ebola incident was made more grievous by the fact that there was no previous experience of what to do in an urban centre as all other experiences have happened in rural areas. The Governor praised the Sweepers whom he described as “our first line of defence for our Ebola resistance”, adding, “You are always our sanitation ambassadors and this is the work you have continued to do and so we were learning as we were responding and the world was watching”. “Believe me, but for the high standard of environmental sanitation that you have helped us to achieve over the last six years, the battle to contain Ebola would have been more difficult”, he said adding, “As at midnight on Thursday, September 18, 2014, Lagos became Ebola-free”. Governor Fashola, who recalled that Lagos used to be ranked as one of the dirtiest cities in the world, said the fact that the State has today been ranked as one of the most beautiful cities in the world was mainly as a result of the dedication and commitment of the street sweepers and managers. He told the capacity audience at the Stadium, “I would like to thank all of you for the commitment you have shown to environmental sustenance in Lagos. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed. Some people have asked how we did it and I have told them that once they find committed men and women like you everything is possible.” Noting that Lagos has left “for others who still choose to live in the past” the unpleasant epithet of being ranked one of the dirtiest cities, Fashola expressed satisfaction that the city has become a model for how to turn around dirty cities adding that the glory of that achievement should go to the “sanitation ambassadors”. “Across West Africa today, the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has become a consultant to some smaller African countries sending people here to help them grapple with the challenges of waste management; that is what has come out of Lagos”, the Governor said. He said from a small group of sweepers a few years ago the programme has expanded to include greening and beautification as well as Parks and Gardens transformation adding that the programme has also expanded to include Marine Waste Managers who now remove wastes from the State’s waterways. Fashola said as desolate parks and sites were turned into green and beautiful parks, the need to manage vegetation waste, plant waste emerged adding, “As is usual with this Government, we think out of the box. So we expanded and created another team- Vegetal Control Operators – who now manage vegetal waste”. “But that was not the end of the story. We realized that some people, unfortunately, are still dropping refuse in our water bodies, in our creeks, in our lagoons and in our canals. So we thought, if we have transportation and we have street sweepers to manage waste on the roads what stops us from having marine waste managers if we have ferry service as we do”. According to the Governor, “This programme has also led to the commencement of many small scale industries which have been involved in the production of your uniforms, your safety masks, your brooms and so much more. This is the way Governments should act; to use programmes to empower people, to energize the economy and to deliver prosperity”. He reminded the Sweepers that the opportunity to earn a living through the work they do was given to them by an All Progressives Congress government and in order to continue to sustain and expand the programme, they must return the party in the next election adding that it would ensure continuity and an opportunity for others to benefit. “Today many of you can get up in the morning and tell members of your families those four important words “I am going to work”. Remember that this would not have happened without a government formed by the All Progressives Congress (APC)”, Fashola said. He recalled that when the programme started six years ago, the number was small but that it has grown steadily over the years and is now 15,000 pointing out that the 15,000 people would never have had the opportunity to benefit from the programme but for the APC government in the State. “In order to keep what we have, in order to provide opportunity for this programme to expand, very soon you will be invited to make a choice about who to govern Lagos with. When that time comes, remember how you got this opportunity and vote to expand it to enable others benefit from it”, he said. Taking a swipe on the opposition Peoples Democratic Party whose members were having a rally at the Tafawa Balewa Square about the same time, Fashola noted they were gathered to seek Power while the Sweepers and the Government were gathered to seek ways to improve service delivery. “Today, some people are gathered very close to us here in the way that we have also gathered. But they are gathered for a different reason; they are gathered looking for Power; we are gathered here planning to deliver better service. We are planning to do our work”, he said. On the inability of the ruling Party to provide electricity to the people in spite of promises, Fashola said his administration has started an empowerment programme teaching people skills that do not require electricity “because, for now, the people who are seeking power cannot deliver Power even when it is their responsibility”. He said in order to cover up their omission and lack of performance, his administration has again thought out of the box, teaching people how to earn income in trade and occupation that do not require electricity adding that beneficiaries were thought how to make soap, pomade, how to sew, how to cut and how to set dining tables and so on. “We suddenly discovered that to combat the Ebola Virus we needed to improve the production and supply of soap. I am happy to announce to you that in the last few weeks, people we have trained have produced over 1,000 kegs of 60 litres each of liquid soap that will go into our schools in preparation of resumption. Even while in training, they have started to earn income”, he said. Describing the theme of this year’s workshop, “Continuous Sustenance of the Environment; Keeping Lagos Clean All the Time”, as very apt, the Governor declared, “We have overcome Ebola, but we must not be complacent. Keeping Lagos clean all the time is the first step towards ensuring that we are not complacent”. He promised to look into the demands of the sweepers presented to him by the Managing Director of LAWMA, Mr. Ola Oresanya , saying Government would continue to improve on the condition of work of the sweepers especially towards keeping them safe at work and in healthcare and remunerations. In his opening remarks earlier, Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the annual workshop for the Street Sweepers was established by the State Government as a forum for sensitizing and enlightening all stakeholders on the basic knowledge of safety and precautionary measures that are needed while on duty. Noting that it is not enough to provide the jobs, the Commissioner said Government was also committed to ensuring the protection of the vulnerable workers adding that in doing this Government also seek the collaboration of transportation stakeholders such as the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), the National Union of Road transport Workers (NURTW) and Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), to continue to educate motorists on safety precaution. The Commissioner expressed joy that the initiative has complemented the efforts of Government to eradicate poverty among the citizens adding that the approach has equally created employment opportunities for over 15,000 Lagosians since inception. Urging the Sweepers to see the workshop as an avenue by which Government appreciates and appraises their activities, the Commissioner said the ultimate aim was to re-strategize to ensure effective service delivery adding that they should maximize the opportunity for knowledge sharing and capacity building towards improved productivity. Earlier in his welcome address, the Managing Director of LAWMA, Mr. Ola Oresanya, said in order to guarantee the continuity of the programme focus on ensuring safety and well-being of the sweepers has been targeted at regular supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), regular free medical screening, meetings with representatives of major stakeholders and training of operatives on safety measures among others. He thanked some corporate partners to the programme such as Sterling Bank Plc, Coca Cola Plc, Nigerite Plc, oil firms, among others, for their invaluable contribution to the programme adding that some of them have placed some of the sweepers on their pay roll. Also present at the event were the Managing Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Mr. Yemi Adeola, Managing Director and CEO of Highway Managers Limited, Cardinal James Odunmbaku, Chairman, LAWMA Service Providers, Apostle Akin Adewale, representatives of trade unions and stakeholders as well as top government functionaries.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 17:43:19 +0000
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