Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, said that his administration will consider increasing the salaries of its workers in the state employment once the Federal Government implements its recently announced additional N25,000 and N35,000 respectively to the salaries of junior and senior staff in its service.
Governor Sanwo-Olu gave this pledge at the swearing-in of the new Head of Service (HoS), Mr Olabode Shuaib Agoro.
Agoro, the 22nd Head of Service in the state, replaced Hakeem Muri-Okunola, who resigned as the HOS following his appointment as the Principal Secretary to the President.
At the ceremony the Governor approved a total sum of N1billion as a car refurbishment loan to staff of the state government, being an improvement on the N100million loan which has been in existence from the tenure of former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Governor Sanwo-Olu approved and signed the increment loan increment, saying that the increment cuts across all levels of the workforce.
According to him, for level 14 to 17, the increase is from N100,000 to N500,000, and for level 7 to 13, it jumps from N70,000 to N250,000, while level 1 to 6 increments is from N30,000 to N100,000.
The governor expressed confidence in the new HOS to deliver and build on what his predecessor had done, adding that Agoro had the capacity to lead the Lagos State civil service.
He said the new HoS’s dedication to work in all the ministries he had worked on was remarkable, saying that Agoro’s journey had been marked by diligence, integrity, and a deep love for the state and her people.
Governor Sanwo-Olu commended the outgone Muri-Okunola for raising the bar in the civil service.
“Your journey has been marked by diligence, integrity, and a deep love for our State and our people. As you take on this new role, please know that you carry the hopes and aspirations of many. You must succeed,” Sanwo-Olu said.
“The Office of the Head of Service, especially in a cosmopolitan state like Lagos, carries a lot of responsibility. Although the Lagos State Public Service has a great reputation for competence among its peers, there is still so much to be done in order to raise the bar of professionalism continuously and to ensure prompt, effective and efficient service delivery that meets global standards,” he added.
Responding, Agoro promised to improve the welfare of the workers, especially in the training and their mental health.
Before his latest appointment, Agoro was the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos Lands Bureau, having spent 20 years in the Lagos civil service.