The Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has handsomely rewarded an outstanding highway sweeper, Fasasi Raheemat Oluwabukola, on behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, incident commander of the state.
Raheemat was sighted and videoed along Dolphin/Osbourne Road, her operational corridor, by Ms. Adebisi Awoniyi, a resident of Dolphin Estate, a video that later went viral on the social media, few days ago.
Speaking during the brief presentation along that corridor, managing director of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, noted that the recognition was to appreciate Raheemat’s constant diligence and impassioned service, as attested by Ms. Awoniyi, who claimed to have regularly observed her, during her daily work-out sessions.
The LAWMA boss noted further, that there was reward for diligent hard work, because one could never tell who was watching at any point in time.
He said: ‘Raheemat, you are being recognised on behalf of Mr. Governor, who had also seen your video posted by Ms. Awoniyi; doing your work so passionately. There is reward for whatever we do, especially when you are diligent, doing your work from the heart. You never know who may be watching’.
‘Your video had gone far and Mr. Governor had seen it, as well as the Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, and had all decided that you be recognised for conscientious work and uncommon diligence. I hope this will further motivate you and also inspire your colleagues, to work even harder because there is dignity in labour’.
Dr. Gbadegesin who profusely thanked Ms. Awoniyi for her patriotic disposition, said there was nothing shameful being a cleaner, noting that his first job as a young man, was being a janitor.
He frowned on the unwholesome attitude of some residents, who indulge in throwing waste onto the highway from their moving vehicles, stressing that LAWMA would ensure a friendly work environment, for its over 15,000 sweepers, including the provision of road-side shelters and other basic necessities.
According to him, ‘We will continue to provide a good and clement work condition, for our more than 15,000 sweepers, who are in the first line of defence in our cleaning business’, he concluded.
Commenting on the work attitude of Raheemat, Ms. Awoniyi disclosed that she always wondered at how passionately she went about her duty every day, and that was the motivation behind the viral photo.
According to her, ‘I see Raheemat every day as I go for my morning work-out sessions, working with so much commitment and every time I am touched; feeling that if everyone would do public service with so much passion and dedication. She is simply outstanding and exceedingly diligent’.
She enjoined other sweepers and those in public service, to emulate her work attitude.
Responding, face suffused in tears, Raheemat expressed profuse gratitude to Governor Sanwo-Olu, for the rather unexpected recognition, stressing that it was most unexpected, as she was only going about her duty from the bottom of her heart and to the best of her ability.
She said: ‘I took the sweeper job to raise money to buy my tools as a trained dress-designer. But I always believe that I should put my heart and my best in whatever I do at any time. I can’t adequately express the depth of my gratitude to the Governor, to Lagos State and to LAWMA. May God continue to bless the state’, she concluded.