-Delay was due to partitioning work going on at the temporary offices – SLG, NULGE Chairman, Councilor
The failure to complete partitioning and fix necessary office fittings have been adduced to have caused the delay in the movement of staff members and properties of the Ikorodu Local Government to the two temporary office complexes along Lagos Road,Ikorodu.
The proposed movement, failed to happen throughout last week despite the visit of His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, to the council to address the staff members, in the company of the council chairman and other management staff members, on the need to vacate the Secretariat premises and pave way for the commencement of the redevelopment of the property.
The movement was initially scheduled for June 11,2018, but failed to materialised while other attempts also proved abortive.
Some of the staff members who spoke with THE IMPACT stated that they were prepared to move but the place they were moving into was not ready yet.
“We have accepted to move to the new temporary offices since we have been assured by the kabiyesi and council chairman that we are going to stay there for about two years when the proposed state-of-the-art permanent secretariat would have been completed”, a staff member stated
“Unfortunately, we cannot move yet because where we are moving into is not ready yet for official activities. The partitioning and other fittings have not been completed yet. We are going to move as soon as they put things in place”, he added.
Another staff member, who also did not want her name in print also told our reporter that the rented offices are not yet ready for official activities.
“We were all in attendance when Kabiyesi came on Monday to address staff members and since then we have packed our files and other belongings and ready to relocate but we discover that the place is not yet ready. In fact, they are yet to provide us with truck to move our things as promised.”
Another staff member, who spoke with THE IMPACT, simply said, “The place is not conducive yet. We shall move when the place is ready to accommodate us.”
In a phone chat with the chairman of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Ikorodu Local Government Chapter, Comrade Mabodu Adenike, she confirmed the readiness of the council’s staff members to move to the new temporary offices.
“There is nothing preventing us from moving, except that the council is trying to put finishing touches to the temporary facilities to make it a conducive working environment for the staff members”, she stated.
“I was there on Wednesday and still planning to go back there today to ascertain the readiness of the place. You can come around to the council, you will discover that we have packed our files and other documents and ready to move to the new place.
“I’m waiting for the Chairman and the Head of the Council Administration to tell us the next point of action, especially as it regards the truck that would be conveying our things to the new offices. Our staff members are ready to move”, she confirmed to our reporter on Friday.
Speaking with the Secretary to the Local Government, Alhaji Lateef Afinni, he stated that the engineer handling the partitioning of the temporary offices assured that the work would be completed today (Friday).
He also told our reporter that staff members of the council are ready to move as soon as the partitioning work is completed.
When called on phone, Hon. Wasiu Adeshina, the Chairman of Ikorodu LG, restrained to speak with our reporter on the matter. He, however, asked our reporter to come over to his office for a chat on the matter.
On visiting his office, his Personal Assistant informed our reporter that he was out of the council. Our reporter left the council after waiting unsuccessfully for about an hour for his return.
Our reporter also sent the chairman a text message regarding the issue and requested that he should call whenever he returns to the council.
We are, however, yet to hear from him as at the time of going to the press.
A Councilor, who also spoke with THE IMPACT, also stated that the legislative arm of the council is ready to move to the new office complex as soon as the executive arm communicates the readiness of the new office.
He said that work has been intensified in making the temporary office complex ready since the official visit on Monday (July 9, 2018) .
He told our reporter that demolition workers are on standby to move into the old secretariat as soon as the staff members completed their relocation.
Meanwhile, THE IMPACT gathered that the only impediment to the commencement of the redevelopment of the council secretariat into a shopping mall is the failure of the staff members and other occupants to move out of the premises.
It was further gathered that the investors are ready to commence demolition and construction as soon as those occupying the premises move out.
The commencement of the proposed five storey new council secretariat on the open ground opposite Post Office, Ikorodu, is also expected to commence at the same time with the old council secretariat redevelopment.
THE IMPACT gathered that the governor fine-tuned the approval of the fund for the construction of the new secretariat with the Ministry of Works on Wednesday, July 4, 2018.
The proposed secretariat, according to report, is a five storey building with grand floor as car park and it is expected to be completed within 18 to 24 months.
