Why Lagos doesn’t sanction underperforming agencies — PMO

By Adeola Ogunrinde

The Lagos State Parastatals Monitoring Office (PMO) has explained that it does not sanction underperforming agencies or parastatals due to existing government policy that does not permit such disciplinary actions.

The Permanent Secretary of the PMO, Adetutu Ososanya, disclosed this on Thursday during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing, held to mark the sixth year in office of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat.

Ososanya said the PMO is tasked with monitoring and evaluating the performance of parastatals, agencies, and government-owned entities to ensure transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency.

She revealed that out of 102 agencies and parastatals in the state, the PMO conducted inspection visits to 86 — including revenue-generating bodies — between November and December 2024.

While acknowledging that some agencies did not meet performance expectations, she clarified that their leaders were not penalized.

“In government, we don’t sanction agencies and parastatals for non-performance. When we observe gaps in performance, we engage their Chief Executive Officers to identify and address the challenges affecting their operations,” she said.

Ososanya also announced plans to begin a pilot verification exercise for pensioners in parastatals, agencies, and state-owned companies with independent recruitment powers under the civil service framework.

She added that the PMO will collaborate with the Lagos State Pension Commission and the Ministry of Establishments and Training to ensure a coordinated and seamless verification process across all relevant entities.