Press Releases

Jang, Fashola Grace COWLSO’s 2009 Conference
…Charge women to tackle challenges of discrimination, injustice

Oct 28, 2009 - Plateau State Governor, Mr Jonah David Jang and his Lagos State counterpart, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Wednesday charged that now is the time for women to renew their enthusiasm and passion in resolving various challenges facing them.

Both Governors spoke at the opening ceremony of the 3-Day 9th National Women Conference of the Council of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) held at the Expo Hall of Eko Hotels and Towers, Victoria Island.

Delivering the Keynote address as the Special Guest of Honour at the event tagged Conference 2009, Governor Jonah Jang declared: “The time is now for women to renew their enthusiasm and passion in resolving challenges such as that of making a statement that women too can play a positive role in the development of society”.

He added that the Conference represents a rallying platform for women not to give up and the hour for women to impact on the development strides in the world.

Governor Jonah Jang said though women possess rare virtues of caution, meticulousness and honesty in service, those virtues alone cannot take the people to the Promised Land in the quest for development.

He urged all the members of COWLSO to reflect on the challenges facing them not only against achieving the association’s objectives but in relation to democracy and developmental revolution that is taking place in Lagos today.

The Plateau State Governor added that from the tone of the topics of discussion at conference; Managing Public life, Re-inventing Family Value, the Woman Politician and Preparing for Retirement, it is very clear they offer fresh perspectives about the many challenges women face, especially within the context of globalization.

He congratulated Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) for being a success story “going by the monumental strides he is making on the social, economic and political landscapes of this State”. Continuing he declared in reference to Governor Fashola: “Indeed he is telling his story in a very compelling way and making a statement about his own generation”.

Governor Jang who acknowledged the positive impact his wife and now late mother played in his life urged all the women to remain positive, loyal and supportive to their husbands while harnessing all their potentials for positive influence. He added that through this they would have taken their place to impact on the developmental revolution taking place in Lagos State to the delight of Nigerians.

Also while delivering a Goodwill message to the Conference, Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) said the greatest challenge which women must rethink and upon which they must review their focus, with a view to resolving it is INJUSTICE.

He explained that it has manifested itself in various forms which in his view has probably been mistaken for an attack on the female gender , rather than an attack of their gender.

“In other words, women have been unfairly treated not because they deserve to be unfairly treated but because they are vulnerable by their makeup psychologically and physiologically to being unfairly treated. This is a point which I think must be clearly understood.

“The physiological and psychological makeup of women which is a function of nature does not make them weak but makes them vulnerable in certain spheres. It is strength in some areas and a limitation in others just as men are limited and strong in other areas”, Governor Fashola added.

He reiterated that women must focus on the challenges of injustice that manifests themselves in various shapes such as rape, violence, trafficking, abuse in the financial institutions by being deployed in pseudo prostitution termed “deposit mobilization”.

The Governor added that women must say no to these forms of injustices while occupying positive leadership positions that are opened up without losing their control of their natural sphere of life as the vessels of life.

Said he: “To do otherwise is to threaten the existence of the human race. If women lose this role, fail to procreate in the quest for equality, fail to make the home and nurture our children into the country’s human resource capital, we will be on the way to extinction. There will be no more women, talk less of men”.

The Lagos State Governor also said physically, women are not naturally programmed for violent action or reactions and that is why treaties and conventions have been evolved to protect women and children from wars, adding that women must not give up the protection in the quest for equality but must instead ask for equity in order to get justice.

The Governor publicly acknowledged and saluted the women of Lagos, who have assisted in no small way to ensure that the successes that the Government has recorded.

“From those of you who operate daily as our street sweepers, who have helped to reverse our image as the once dirtiest capital by transforming it to the cleanest State capital in Nigeria as adjudged by the Federal Ministry of Environment, to the thousands of you worked in many spheres of our very dynamic public service , and the millions of you who as market women and entrepreneurs continue to drive the economic vehicle and champion our commercial pre-eminence in Nigeria and beyond , I say a big thank you”, the Governor stated.

Earlier in her welcome address, wife of the Lagos State Governor and Chairman of COWLSO, Mrs Abimbola Fashola said since 2001 when the maiden edition of the annual conference was held with the theme, ”The Virtuous Woman”, a total of 38 topics addressing issues ranging from healthy living, nation building, investment opportunities, motherhood, politics among others have been discussed.

She added that the topics were chosen to address some of the challenges that are peculiar to women with the objective of educating, enlightening and empowering participants for positive change within themselves and the society at large.

The first female President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief (Mrs) Priscilla Olabori Kuye emerged as the Inspirational Woman of the Year 2009 Award recipient and was presented with the award by Plateau State Governor, Mr Jonah Jang.

In her response after being conferred with the award, Mrs Kuye who was accompanied by her husband, Chief Omowale Kuye dedicated the award to all women so that they can aim for the highest, while commending COWLSO for the laudable projects it has embarked upon.

She commended Governor Babatunde Fashola for doing very well in the governance of Lagos and expressed the hope that all Lagosians would give him a second term shot at the governorship slot.

The event was attended by wives of some State Governors, Benue State, Mrs Yemisi Suswan, Niger, Hajia Jumai Aliyu Babangida, Ondo State, Mrs Kemi Mimiko, members of the State Executive Council, Lagos State Chairman of the Action Congress, Chief Henry Ajomale, industrialist, Chief Molade Okoya Thomas and many other dignitaries.