Tension is brewing in Badagry Local Government Area as residents have expressed outrage over the decision of the newly elected Chairman, Babatunde Hunpe, to sack 266 casual workers employed by his predecessor, Olusegun Onilude, barely three months into his tenure.

The affected workers described the decision as “heartless and insensitive,” arguing that it has left hundreds of families stranded in the face of biting economic hardship.

One resident said: “These workers were legitimately employed by the previous administration, yet because they were hired by Onilude, Hunpe threw them back into the streets. How are they expected to feed their families now?”

Another aggrieved worker added: “At a time when the cost of living is unbearable, sacking 266 people is wickedness. This is not about repositioning the council; this is pure politics and victimization.”

But in defense of the decision, Chairman Hunpe said the disengagement was aimed at “repositioning the council’s workforce for efficiency and accountability.” According to him, many of the affected workers were either “unproductive, ghost workers, or absent from duty.”

“We cannot continue to pay salaries to people who do not justify their pay,” he said, citing examples of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) where more than 20 workers were allegedly on the payroll without a single patient to attend to. He even claimed to have found a case where a gate man abandoned his duty post and left his son in charge.

Despite these justifications, many residents are unconvinced. They accuse the chairman of hiding behind efficiency claims to witch-hunt workers simply because they were employed by his predecessor.

“This is bad politics and it is the ordinary people who suffer,” a youth leader told an Online news website. “Hunpe should create jobs, not destroy livelihoods.”

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