By Peter Dansu Barely two months into office, the Executive Chairman of Badagry Local Government Area, Hon. Babatunde Hunpe, has wielded th...
By Peter Dansu
Barely two months into office, the Executive Chairman of Badagry Local Government Area, Hon. Babatunde Hunpe, has wielded the big stick, sacking all non-pensionable staff employed under his predecessor, Hon. Olusegun Adeniran Onilude.
Badagry Today can confirm that affected workers received disengagement letters dated August 27, 2025, with the termination taking effect from August 29, 2025. The letter, signed by the council’s administrative arm, directed the staff to hand over all government property in their possession to the Admin/HR Department.
“This is to formally inform you of your disengagement from the service of the Local Government with effect from Friday, 29th August, 2025. Thank you for your cooperation and dedication to duty while with the Local Government, looking forward to working with you in future,” part of the letter read.
The mass sack affected workers across local government departments, including area offices, health centres, and administrative units. Many of the disengaged staff had put in over seven years of service, hoping to be absorbed into pensionable roles. Instead, they say they were blindsided by the termination.
One aggrieved worker told Badagry Today: “We believed governance is a continuum. Many of us have served loyally for years, waiting to be confirmed. We never imagined we would be thrown out this way.”
The development has fueled speculation of political undertones. Many of the sacked employees were said to be slots for political leaders and loyalists of the immediate past chairman, Hon. Onilude, who reportedly played a key role in Hunpe’s emergence. Ironically, those same workers are now the first casualties of the new administration
Badagry Today gathered that Hon. Hunpe is already shortlisting a new set of non-pensionable workers to replace those disengaged, raising questions about the rationale for the purge.
When contacted, the council chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Augustine Kriko, declined to respond. However, the Chairman’s Personal Secretary, Dr. Sewedo Olalekan, later responded to same chat, explaining the decision.
“They are non-pensionable because they are not bonded to the council and can be disengaged at any time. However, the Chairman will be re-engaging the essential and needed persons out of the disengaged non-pensionable staff. In fact, some essential workers have already been re-engaged,” Dr. Sewedo clarified.
The decision has sparked mixed reactions in Badagry. While some argue that the sack was within the Chairman’s powers, others see it as a political purge that could worsen unemployment and fuel discontent in the area.
As the dust settles, residents and political observers are closely watching whether the move will backfire politically on the new chairman or strengthen his hold on the council by rewarding his supporters with fresh appointments.
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