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EOB plumbing problems give ASG EOB workers a day off

Supposed to return to work today
fili@samoanews.com

Because of a plumbing problem, the A.P Lutali Executive Office Building in Utulei was closed down yesterday morning, giving ASG employees working at the government facility an early day off.

“Due to a failure in the plumbing system at the EOB, the building” was closed for the remainder of yesterday, starting at 10a.m., according to a memo issued yesterday morning by Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga.

He said all agency directors whose offices are located in the EOB were directed to release their staff for the remainder of yesterday and cease providing services to the public. Additionally, the EOB building was to reopen for normal business hours today.

All government offices located outside of the EOB were ordered to remain open yesterday.

Besides the Governor’s Office, other big ASG departments located in the building are the Treasury Department, Human Resources, and Department of Legal Affairs- comprising the Attorney General’s Office and the Immigration Office.

Some residents learned late yesterday morning that the EOB was shutdown when they went there looking to see if there are any new tax refunds being released. Others went there for regular business and were told by EOB guards that the building was shut down due to “plumbing problems”.

“It is just a bit funny that offices are closed down due to plumbing problems at a government owned building,” a female caller to Samoa News said, adding that she was at the EOB trying to get business information from the Commerce Department. “But it’s sad that the public cannot be served because ASG offices are closed at EOB and the government should have done a better job in keeping the facility safe.”

Samoa News understands that all ASG employees working at the EOB are still getting their full day’s pay — minus the one-hour, which is required in the governor’s reduction of working hour’s policy that became effective Apr. 10.

When asked about the condition of the A.P. Lutali Executive Building during his confirmation hearing in February, Administrative Services director Fuega L. Moliga said the facility is old, unsanitary and unsafe, not only for ASG employees who work there, but also for the public that visits the building.

He said he planned to conduct a full assessment of the facility, which needs to be repaired.