Speeches

N500,000,000.00 Fund Raising Of Pa William Mensem Education And Scholarship Foundation

Apr 25, 2009 - I would like to begin this address with the popular but timeless truth, from the respected former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill who said “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give”. Giving to further the cause of humanity, giving to secure the future of the next generation is a worthwhile investment. A popular saying also supports this view that “if you give a man fish, you feed him for a day but if you teach him to fish, you feed him for a lifetime”. There is no worthwhile investment in life that can be compared with education. Education, it is believed, is the best legacy, the best inheritance, the best assets we can give to our children. The education of children therefore is the guarantee of the future and continuity of our community.

It is on this note, therefore, that I am very happy to identify with and congratulate the Chief Promoter of this laudable objective, Hon. Justice M.B. Douglas-Mensem, JCA and the Board of Trustees of the Pa William Mensem Education and Scholarship Foundation (PAWMESF) on the occasion of their fund raising to actualize laudable objectives that will bring hope and ensure the quality of life for the people of Ngootugut in the Dorok District of Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State, especially touching the lives of the less privileged children in the community and its immediate environs.

The lifetime of Pa William Mensem, which serves as the inspiration of this worthy cause, is instructive. He was able to persevere and acquire formal education at a matured age of 32 and he committed his lifetime to imparting the knowledge he had acquired to his kinsmen as a classroom teacher with dignity. He contributed to community development efforts in his time, to ensure that the benefits of civilization which were just unfolding then did not pass his community by.

The vision of the promoter of the Pa William Mensem Foundation is predicated on the eradication of poverty which has become the greatest disease that is ravaging developing and third world countries. Education remains the only potent weapon that can curtail the ravages of poverty and ignorance. These are twin evils that must be eradicated if our communities would achieve their maximum potentials.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, this is the reason why our administration in Lagos State places a high premium on education for our people as we implement policies and programmes that will sustain our mega city status. We have provided books and writing materials for our children in all public schools and the rehabilitation and renovation of infrastructure in all the Education Districts in the State are on-going.

It is our fervent belief that the greatest legacy that can be bequeathed to any generation is education and our administration will continue to pursue policies and programmes that will ensure qualitative education for our children as leaders of tomorrow and custodians of our future as a community.

The level of illiteracy is still very high in our nation, this is why initiative of this nature must be embraced and supported by all. I will use this opportunity to appeal to well-meaning men and women and corporate organizations, present at this occasion, to support the laudable objectives that the Pa William Mensem Education and Scholarship Foundation (PAWMESF) has set out to achieve in giving hope and the assurance of a Brighter Rewarding Future to the Ngootugut Community and its surrounding environs.

I, also, commend the efforts of Hon. Justice M.B. Douglas-Mensem, JCA and the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for their laudable efforts in contributing to community development and human capacity development of the Ngootugut Community and I wish you success in your endeavours.

Thank you for listening and God bless.

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Executive Governor,
Lagos State