PVCs: Why I approved four-day leave for Lagos workers — Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday said the approval of four work-free days spanning Tuesday, July 26 to  Friday, July 29, 2022 is to enable civil servants in the state to obtain their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) before the Independent National Election Commission’s (INEC) deadline of 31st July 2022.

Governor Sanwo-Olu said, in granting the approval, he made it clear that 75per cent of the workforce in the state must be available throughout the four days to ensure the smooth running of government business.

He added that this explained why the Junior, Middle management and Senior Officers in the Public Service were batched according to Grade Levels and allotted one day per batch to ensure that no public servant would be denied the opportunity of fulfilling his/her civic duty, being the right of every citizen, particularly to participate in the 2023 General Elections.

The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, stated this in a statement titled: “Urgent public notice,” copy of which was made available to newsmen, adding that the Circular Ref. No. CIR/HOS/’22/Vol.1/034 of 25 July 2022 titled: “Collection of Permanent Voters’ Card,” which announced the governor’s approval was is in the public domain.

Omotoso said the clarification become necessary to debunk the falsehood and deliberate misinformation being perpetuated by mischief workers, with a deliberate intention of politicising a standard administrative process. 

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This was just as he quickly recalled that same administrative mechanism was deployed during the COVID-19 Pandemic to ensure social distance as well as public health and safety when, according to him, only 25per cent of Lagos State government workers conducted government business effectively and efficiently, while other public servants worked remotely or from home, declaring that it was mischievous and dishonest to read political meaning into a sincere gesture. 

Text of the statement read: “The approval of four work-free days (26th, 27th, 28th and 29th July 2022) to enable Lagos State Civil Servants obtain their Permanent Voters’ Cards has been largely misconstrued. It has therefore become necessary to set the records straight and put the approval granted by Mr. Governor in proper context.

“Permanent Voter’s Cards before the Independent National Election Commission’s (INEC) deadline of 31st July 2022.

“In granting his approval, Mr. Governor made it clear that seventy-five percent (75%) of the workforce must be available throughout the four days to ensure the smooth running of Government business. This explains why the Junior, Middle management and Senior Officers in the Public Service were batched according to Grade Levels and allotted one day per batch to ensure that no Public Servant would be denied the opportunity of fulfilling his/her civic duty, being the right of every citizen, particularly to participate in the upcoming Y2023 general elections. For the avoidance of doubt, the Circular Ref. No. CIR/HOS/’22/Vol.1/034 of 25 July 2022 which is titled: Collection of Permanent Voters’ Card, is in the public domain.

“This clarification has, therefore, become necessary to debunk the falsehood and deliberate misinformation being perpetuated by mischief workers, perhaps with a deliberate intention of politicising a standard administrative process. The same administrative mechanism was deployed during the COVID-19 Pandemic to ensure social distance as well as public health and safety when only twenty-five percent (25%) of Lagos State Government workers conducted Government business effectively and efficiently, while other public servants worked remotely or from home. It is mischievous and dishonest to read political meaning into a sincere gesture.”