Sanwo-Olu Fires 391 Lagos Water Corporation Officials
As part of a continued restructuring initiative, Lagos State Water Corporation (LWC) has recently let go of 391 redundant employees from its workforce.
The announcement was made in a statement released by Jubril Gawat, the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday.
The statement highlighted that LWC has taken this action as part of its ongoing efforts to reorganize its operations, improve efficiency, and address the evolving needs of the organization. The move aims to better manage the challenges of water scarcity in the state, despite existing infrastructure projects.
The corporation expressed its struggles with financial and operational issues, citing difficulties in generating sufficient revenue to fulfill its obligations. It acknowledged that the inconsistent and unreliable water supply has led to a decline in customers and revenue.
In an effort to realign its operations, LWC initiated a personnel audit back in October 2023. This audit, overseen by the Office of the Head of Service since August 2023, recommended phased actions to streamline the workforce.
The first phase involved letting go of 425 temporary staff with outdated contracts. The current second phase focuses on permanent staff whose roles are no longer needed. The upcoming third phase aims to retain skilled technical staff to enhance the corporation's utility and commercial efficiency.
To streamline its operations further, LWC has instituted a performance improvement process for the retained permanent staff and detailed job descriptions and operating procedures to enhance organizational effectiveness.
Acknowledging the impact on the affected employees, the Lagos government has approved a payment of three months' salary as notice and redundancy payments, along with statutory benefits like pensions.
In its bid to enhance operations and financial sustainability, the corporation has introduced a new organizational structure. This strategic shift underscores the commitment of LWC to provide sustainable and dependable water supply to the residents of Lagos State.