Kunle Awosiyan
Shortly before his second term inauguration, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had directed all political appointees to vacate their offices and hand over to the accountants or the most senior officers in their ministries, departments and agencies.
In the memo of May 26, 2023, signed by the Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, the governor emphasised that the letter covered all MDAs except political appointees whose appointments are by legislation tenured.
In other words, the directive terminated the tenure of any other political appointee, heading any agency.
There are over 60 agencies, departments and boards in the states□, many of whose heads had completed their tenure but waiting for possible extension.
There is an atmosphere of fear in the leadership of some government agencies now over probable disengagement memo from Alausa Secretariat.
When he assumed office in 2019, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu removed some of the agency’s heads and extended the service of a few.
A source at the office of the Head of Service told Echonews that a good number of heads of agencies had completed their tenure and had since been replaced.
“Not all of them are leaving while some will soon get their letters” he said, even though he refused to mention the affected agencies.
However, there are agencies that are crucial to every successive administration in the state whose selection of its heads define the fortune of the government.
Such agencies as the Lagos State Water Corporation, Lagos State Television, Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency, Lagos State Emergency Management
Authority, Lagos State Waste Management Authority have had all their heads replaced in the last few weeks of the new administration.
These agencies, according to findings received special letters apart from the May 26 memos for their heads to vacate their seats.
Prominent on the list is the Managing Director of the State Signage and Advertisement Agency, LASAA, Prince Adedamola Docemo who had since completed his tenure, having being appointed in 2019 by Sanwo-Olu.
The appointment and removal of successive Managing Directors of Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency, LASAA have been subjects of controversy..
LASAA is one agency any succeeding Lagos governor will not want to joke with due to its capacity to generate funds for local governments in the state. Set up to provide professional management of the control of advertising by local governments in the state, LASAA is obliged by law to share receipts from advertising among the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs and earn its own revenue from administrative charges..
Like his predecessors, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has sent a signal that his second term will not be business as usual with the spate of dismissal of some heads of government agencies whom either had completed their tenure or could not deliver on their mandates.
For instance, the exit of the Managing Director of LASAA, Prince Adedamola Docemo was announced sometime last week, making him the sixth head of agency relieved of office since he assumed office for his second term on May 29, 2023.
Though the reason for Docemo’s sack is still sketchy, Echonews gathered that it was not unconnected with the plan of the governor to rejig the agency with a more dynamic and creative personality.
LASAA had come from Makanjuola Alabi to Tunji Bello; from Tunji Bello to George Noah and to Mobolaji Sanusi. LASAA leadership and its exits usually determine the direction of the outdoor advertisement business. in Lagos and of course the method to achieve the projected revenue.
Investigation showed that a few of the former heads might return as the governor begins to compile the list of his team but for some heads of agencies and most especially Adedamola Docemo of LASAA, Siju Alabi of LTV, Mumuni Badmus of Water Corporation, Ibrahim Odumboni of LAWMA, Femi Oke-Osanyintolu of LASEMA will not be working with him anymore, a source disclosed.
Docemo, who was appointed in 2019 with high hopes of raising higher revenues fell short of expectations, no thanks to the unexpected outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic which put companies out of business and what insiders describe as lack of vision to take the agency to the next level.
Among his achievements are the introduction of S-Auto Signage, an enterprise management system; development of new products such as Kwik Tower, Mobile Advert Verifier and Street Directional Signs upgrade and the purchase of new tools such as poster removers for operations.
He also enhanced staff welfare by replacing old office furnitures and operational vehicles, improved ease of paying revenue through the payer app and stakeholder engagement and gave Covid-19 discounts to young agencies.
However, these achievements were overshadowed by errors of omission and commission.
Sources said the agency’financies could have coped if the new boss had not embarked on hiring new hands in addition to the 400 – personnel he met on ground. To worsen the case, most of the 50 new recruits could not fit into the agency
because they lacked requisite experience and certificates. And worst of all, they were recruited without the mandatory approval of the governor.
This almost cost him his job. His saving grace was the immediate sack of all the beneficiaries.
Docemo was also accused of being soft on his colleagues in the advertising industry in ways that compromised the enforcement of LASAA’s outdoor advertising standards, reduced revenue and allowed debts to mount.
Many LASAA workers told Echonews that the idea of recruiting players in the industry as regulators is hurting the agency as most come with the.agenda of creating future corridors of wealth for themselves and lack the vigour to step on toes.
” Imagine our situation when we have to answer to the same people we have penalised for violating our rules, the same people we have fined. The morale to work under such chief executives wont be there moreso when you see them using the agency to cut corners for their firms and friends. After 17 years, it is high time government look inside LASAA for a seasoned regulator that has earned his stripes, ” a top staff who spoke anonymously told Echonews.
While Docemo’s exit came through a common memo that dissolved Sanwo-Olu’s commissioners and aides, that of the Chief Executive of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Adejuwon Odumboni was dramatic.
Sources at LAWMA told Echonews that Odumboni declined to act on the memo from the office of the state Head of Service because it was not signed by the HOS..
Odumboni’s sack was contained in an internal memo, dated June 9, 2023, LGS/HOS/389/Vol.11/147, issued by the Head of Service (HoS).
Although the memo was signed by Sunkanmi Oyegbola, a director in the HoS office on behalf of the HoS, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
The memo read: “I am directed to convey the approval of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State of your disengagement as the Chief Executive Officer, Lagos Waste Management Authority with immediate effect.
“Accordingly, you are to prepare comprehensive Handover Note and revert all government properties in your possession to the Executive Director, Finance, Mr. Kunle Adebiyi who is to hold the forth in the meantime.
“While conveying the appreciation of Mr. Governor, through the Lagos State Head of Service, for your invaluable contributions to the growth of the Environment Sector and the State Public Service in general, you are wished the best in all your future endeavours. Thank you”.
It took about a week before his sack could be enforced as he refused to obey unless a new memo duly signed by the HOS himself was issued. Odumboni’s offence was not stated but findings revealed that he lacked the capacity to effectively manage Lagos waste.
In June, about three weeks after his swearing-in, the governor sacked the General Manager of Lagos Television, LTV and directed
a director in the establishment, Mrs. Adeshola Kosoko to take over in acting capacity.
Siju Alabi who came from the private sector changed the workings at the LTV with a lot of innovations and ideas. At a period, she redeployed some reporters to the state Ministry of Information.
Alabi’s reason for redeployment of some members staff, according to another source was due to heavy burden of overhead cost, which she could not carry. She deployed some senior and junior staff to the state Ministry of Information to relieve LTV of the overhead cost.
However it was gathered that Alabi who was appointed by former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode began to have problems with some of her subordinates because of her leadership style.
A staff of the establishment confided in our correspondent that Alabi’s removal might be a result of the rows she had with some of her subordinates.
The row had started as soon as Alabi took over. Many LTV staff were initially outraged that Governor Ambode brought a presenter from a private broadcast station to be their boss despite the fact they had been going up the ranks in the hope of sitting on the chair someday.
Following the stormy exit of the former governor, senior LTV staff were sure that Alabi’s days on the seat were numbered.
It was therefore a shock that Governor Sanwo-olu retained her and supported the station with a facelift that ran into millions of naira.
Sources said that, after eight years, Alabi knew that her term would not be renewed and was counting her days.
Meanwhile, Kosoko, in her 25 years in the service of the LTV, has headed all the production and content directorates of the broadcast organization, and is very well known within the government and private circles.
Potable water and hygiene is a major challenge in Lagos over the years. While Lagos residents complain regularly of lacking potable water despite living around the ocean and lagoon, successive
administrations have always found it difficult to provide a lasting solution to the problem of water shortage in the metropolis.
Last week the governor removed the former Managing Director of the Lagos State Water Corporation, Mumuni Badmus and replaced him with Mukhtaar Tijani.
Badmus, according to investigation had finished his tenure but not without some meaningful achievements. His records in the area of human development and capital projects were visible.
He developed some strategies that involve human resources diagnosis, training in the area of capacity building, introduction of various payment channels to boost revenue at the water corporation.
Badmus introduced the Geographical Information System (GIS), and Asset Management for operational efficiency and management of infrastructures and water supply system.
He created the regional business offices for effective service delivery among others. These strategies have raised the level of performance, and the result is quite encouraging.
As part of the State’s renewed efforts to expand its facilities, the Corporation inaugurated Mosan-Okunola mini waterworks of 2mgd and Otta-Ikosi regional waterworks of 4mgd in 2016 under Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
The regional waterworks are expected to serve nine communities between Itoikin and Agbowa communities. These communities include Ado, Agbowa, Ago Hausa, Ago Owu, Ajebo Orugbo, Iganke, Ikosi, Odo-Ayandelu and Otta-Ikosi.
Under Badmus, the state approved the construction of 100mgd Odomola water scheme, through Public-Private Partnership (PPP), to serve Epe and Victoria Island axis. Also, the Imeke – Iworo, Surulere, Isashi and Abule Egba mini waterworks will be commissioned soon.
Rehabilitation of 48 Mini/Micro waterworks across the State and the rehabilitation of major waterworks of Iju, Adiyan and Akute Intakes. Presently, the Construction of 70mgd Adiyan Phase II water treatment plant is ongoing. When completed, it will serve additional 3 million residents in the State.
Other projects that are currently going on are the rehabilitation and expansion of water mains in Surulere, Itire, Yaba/Ebute Meta, Iwaya and Victoria Island, and expansion of mains from Ogudu Ori- oke to Alapere.
One will expect the new LSWC boss, Tijani to build on Badmus records. Before Tijani’s appointment as the new LSWC boss, he was the General Manager of the Lagos State Electricity Board (LSEB).
In a Twitter post on Thursday, Tijani thanked the governor for believing in his dedication towards public service.
“Upon the successful completion of my tenure as general manager of the Lagos
State Electricity Board, I am honoured to have been appointed managing director of the Lagos State Water Corporation by Mr Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu,” Tijani wrote.
“I thank Mr Governor for his reposing confidence in my dedication and abilities towards public service.”
Tijani, an indigene of Lagos Island from the Ita-Agarawu area, attended Adesoye College, Offa, Kwara state.
He holds bachelor’s degrees in Geology from the University of Houston and Petroleum Engineering from the University of Oklahoma, United States. Tijani further obtained postgraduate certificates in power sector regulation from the Florence School of Regulation, Italy, and the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Earlier in the year, Tijani obtained a public and organisational leadership certificate from the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford.
He started his career at Schlumberger Oilfield Services and later moved to Kinley Exploration, both in the United States.
In 2015, he was appointed special assistant on power in the office of former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
At LASEMA, investigation revealed that the present head, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu might be leaving for a higher post at the federal level.
Oke-Osanyintolu who came to Lagos government as a political appointee during the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was later integrated into the civil service because of his high efficiency.
He was appointed the permanent secretary LASEMA by Governor Sanwo-Olu but may be leaving soon as a name has been penciled down to take his position.
A source told Echonews news that Osanyintolu is eyeing the National Emergency Management Authority, NEMA and that there are strong indications that he would get the federal appointment.
However the government has promoted Mrs Kilanko Asisat Olaperi from the position of the General Manager to Permanent Secretary of the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA).
The appointment was announced by the Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Before her appointment, Kilanko was the General Manager of MVAA.
By this appointment, she becomes the third person to be appointed in that capacity since the establishment of the Agency.
Recall that Mr. Akin Hanson, who served from 2007 to 2015, was the Agency’s first Permanent Secretary, while the second was Mr Ayodele Adediran who served from February 2015 to August 2015.
Born on 19th September 1963, Lape Kilanko began her civil service career in
1999 and has since served diligently in various ministries and parastatals of the state.