The Executive Chairman of Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State, Usman Hamzat, has approved N20,000 monthly palliative for members of staff of the council from January 2025.

Mr Hamzat, while giving his remarks at the Thanksgiving and Staff Recognition Ceremony on Thursday at the council secretariat, thanked the workers for their support for remarkable achievements in the previous years.

According to him, several new initiatives are aimed at motivating members of staff and driving growth within the local government area.

He said, “A new staff bus will be officially presented to the staff to ease transportation challenges and reduce expenses. Also, each staff member will receive an additional ₦20,000 monthly as palliative support for the next three months, with the possibility of an extension. We are always emphasising our commitment to staff welfare and rewarding initiative as outlined in our H.E.E.D.S. agenda for a greater Ifako-Ijaiye.’’

The chairman also gave N5 million to the revenue team to further encourage and accelerate the growing revenue generation.

He added that the gesture is a fulfilment of his earlier promise to reward the team if the internally generated revenue improved by the end of 2024, a goal that was successfully achieved.

Mr Hamzat also recognised outstanding employees with cash rewards, washing machines, and other valuable items worth millions of naira.

The council boss, in particular, honoured four members of staff for their exceptional dedication and commitment by presenting each of them with a washing machine and a cash prize of ₦50,000.

The chairman of the National Union of Local Government Employees, Ifako-Ijaiye branch, Folorunso David, thanked the council chairman for his visionary leadership style.

Mr David referred to him as a visionary leader who has transformed the governance framework of the local government and elevated Ifako-Ijaiye to greater heights among the local government areas in Nigeria.

“As we can see, additional cash incentives of ₦100,000 each were presented to the best cleaner, security personnel, and five other members of staff, including area officers from Iju and Ogba, in recognition of their outstanding performances on duty.

Mr David said, “We also conferred excellence awards on the council manager, Akeem Adesanya and other key officials in appreciation of their staff-friendly policies and unwavering support throughout 2024.”

While delivering his speech, Mr Adesanya described Ifako-Ijaiye as a leading local government in Lagos State and a benchmark for excellence in the country.

Reflecting on past years, the council manager noted that staff initially resisted being posted to Ifako-Ijaiye due to its challenges.

“However, the narrative has changed significantly, as employees now compete to be posted here, inspired by the remarkable achievements spearheaded by the executive chairman, Usman Akanbi Hamzat.

“We attribute this transformation to the chairman’s unwavering commitment to staff welfare, which has fostered a productive and motivated workforce, ultimately driving the local government to unprecedented success,” Mr Adesanya said.

Laide Taiwo (procurement department), Tolani Kabiru (vice chairman’s office), Odedeyi Yusuf (HRO’s office), and Ilori Hakeem (Ogba area office) were beneficiaries of washing machines and N50,000 cash grants.

Additional cash incentives of ₦100,000 were presented to the best cleaner, best security personnel, and five other staff members, including area officers from Iju and Ogba, in recognition of their outstanding performance in fulfilling their duties.

(NAN)