Lagos State First Lady and Chairman, Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola, Tuesday listed the achievements of the Committee in the last seven years even as she briefed the press on this year’s Annual National Women Conference holding in Lagos from Monday, September 22 to Wednesday, September 24.
The three-day Conference, with the theme “Embracing and Managing Change”, will feature such important topics as, “Women and Inheritance Law”, “Character: Key to Rebuilding Our Future and Child Abuse”, “Preparing for Succession”, “Effective Use of Social Media”, “Energy Conservation”, “Want Fulfillment? Find a Mentor” and a whole range of “Total Balance Strategies” through “Diet, Yoga and Exercises”.
Announcing the programme for the Conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, the First Lady also disclosed that the Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun would declare the Conference open while his Oyo State counterpart, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, would perform the closing ceremony.
She listed projects completed during the period to include construction and commissioning of COWLSO Retirement Villa at Lekki Phase 11, construction of Oworonsoki and Oba Lateef Adams Recreation Centres at Oworonsoki and Orile Agege respectively and the Epe Recreation and ICT Centre at Popo Oba Square which is almost completed and which brings to a total of 10 the number of recreation centres constructed/renovated by the Committee.
Projects completed in the Health Sector, she said, include the renovation/furnishing of the Oncology Department of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, financial assistance to 87 Cancer patients for the treatment and surgical operations within and outside Nigeria and adoption of A Ward at the Island Maternity, Lagos.
In the area of Education, COWLSO also constructed six classroom blocks at Abule Egba Primary School, seven classroom blocks and renovated two classroom blocks at Hope Primary School, Ikoyi, six classroom blocks at Muslim Primary School, Ikorodu and renovated, furnished and supplied/installed computer systems at the Computer block of Owode Primary School, Ibelefun, Ikorodu. The Committee also renovated/upgraded toilet facilities in 22 public primary schools, the First Lady said.
According to the COWLSO Chairman, the Committee also financially assisted and gave material support to 27 orphanages, Homes and Non-Governmental Organizations “that are facing the challenge of securing sponsorship for their activities such as Nigerwives (Braile) and Downs Syndrome Foundation, among others”.
She said the Committee would, within the 2014-2015 period, continue its humanitarian efforts and support government programmes, adding that the Committee would ensure that projects taken up already would be completed while new ones to be taken up must conform to the objectives of impacting on the lives of the people, especially the less privileged.
On what she plans to do after the second term of the Governor, the First Lady said she would involve herself in empowering other women and enlightening them on how to train their children and make their environment clean at all times adding, “I will continue to have compassion for people in need and render assistance, as much as possible, to anyone who needs assistance from me. This has been my life.”
