Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) has said horticulturists who have consistently failed at keeping their assigned open spaces clean and well-groomed would be disengaged by the Agency.
This was made known in a statement issued by the General Manager of the Agency, Mrs. Adetoun Popoola, saying the present administration’s commitment towards ensuring a greener and healthier environment in Lagos as well as undertaking monitoring to ensure compliance with the terms of engagement.
“We have observed that some of the locations outsourced to horticulturists have not been given adequate attention and care; the State Government will not continue to engage contractors who underperform and continuously breach the terms of their engagement, which is to keep Lagos looking clean and beautiful”, the General Manager said.
She maintained that the responsibilities of the horticulturists include mowing of lawns; ensuring gardens, roads, medians and setbacks are free from litter; trimming of hedges, replacement of dead plants and ensuring adequate watering of plants, especially during the dry season.
In her words “We also noticed that some sites have been completely abandoned, as such this serves as a final warning to all defaulters that decisive action will soon be taken against such flagrant disregard of the directive of the Agency. Terms and conditions of engagement have been introduced and communicated to all horticulturists across the State”.
While noting that expectations of the Agency are clearly spelt out and remuneration will only be based on satisfactory performance, Popoola stated that non-performers will definitely be disengaged.
She stressed that creating and maintaining well-groomed gardens and open spaces will encourage residents to indulge more in recreation and relaxation in order to reduce the stress associated with daily activities.
Reiterating that a green and healthy environment will engender socio-economic prosperity, the General Manager encouraged corporate bodies to adopt and beautify open spaces and gardens as part of their CSR initiatives in partnership with the State government for climate action.
The General Manager also advised that anyone or organisation seeking assistance with the greening of their immediate environment, in compliance with the law, should not hesitate to contact LASPARK for support.