Finally, someone is making government officials pay for negligence…
Adeigbe Olushola, Adeoye Thomas Adeyemi, Akinde Adenike Sherifat and Dosunmu Gbadebo, have all lost their jobs no thanks to the collapse of a five-storey structure in the Lekki area of Lagos a week ago.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode pulled the rug from under the feet of the officials today (Monday).
Adeigbe Olushola was an engineer and general manager of the Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Adeoye Thomas Adeyemi was head of inspection and quality control in the agency, Dosunmu Gbadebo was zonal district officer in the agency and Akinde Adenike Sherifat was zonal head of Eti-Osa west of the agency.
The state government had blamed the collapse of the structure which claimed 34 lives and injured scores of others on “a brazen act of defiance and impunity” by owners of the building, Messrs Lekki Worldwide Estate Limited who had added two additional floors to what was originally supposed to be a three-storey structure and threw in substandard material for effect.
Richard Nyong who is the managing director and chief executive officer of Lekki Gardens was arraigned by the State government last week and was last seen publicly in handcuffs.
State head of service Olabowale Ademola, who announced the dismissal of the affected officials on the governor’s behalf said they were dismissed “having been indicted of negligence, which according to him, is an act of misconduct under the Public Service Rule 040401″.
“Rule 040401 of the Public Service act of misconduct states inter alia: ‘A willful act of omission or general misconduct to the scandal of the public or to the prejudice of discipline and proper administration of the State Government’ should be visited with dismissal from the Public Service in line with the Public Service Rule 040503.
“The disciplinary measure is the outcome of the recommendations of the Personnel Management Board to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who was personally grieved by the high number of fatalities that occurred as a result of the building collapse.”
Ambode warned public officials, private building owners and contractors who violate or subvert building regulations that it would no longer be business as usual, saying that the dismissal of the officers will serve as a wake-up call to public servants.
“It is also a clarion call to them to be alive to their responsibilities as any act of negligence will face sanctions, while hardworking officers will be rewarded appropriately,” the statement added.