Speeches

Opening Ceremony Of The Ninth Annual COWSLO Conference

Oct 28, 2009 - Every year for the last nine years, the Committee Of Wives of Lagos State Officials have continued to confound all of us with the imaginative themes around which their Annual National Conferences are built and with the vigour with which they have pursued the themes and renewed the role and relevance of women, particularly wives of public officials in Lagos State.

Even though I am the Patron of the Committee by virtue of office, my distinct sense of honour increases every year that I am afforded the opportunity to speak at the annual conference.

Indeed it could not have been otherwise, my first public speech as a L<Jgos State Government official was at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Conference when Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at very short notice asked me to represent him.

Unknown to me, that was the beginning of my political baptism. He had contrived with the then Chairperson, his wife, Her Excellency, Chief Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu and other members of COWSLO to' help him assess my performance at public speaking as a basis for. determining whether I would be able to address a crowd at a political rally.

I think they voted to give me a pass mark, which now entitles me to stand here as their Patron, by virtue of office. I am grateful.

Therefore in my view, no person, not even my brother, His Excellency, Air Commodore Jonah David Jang (Rtd.), who will deliver the opening address for this years Conference should underestimate the enormity of the privilege of being asked to speak at this Conference.

It is a conference not just of Lagos women, but about women of Nigeria who are committed to progressive ideals for the development of our Nation.

Before I give my remarks about this year's conference I wish to publicly acknowledge and salute theo women of Lagos, who have assisted in no small way, the successes that our Government has recorded.

From those of you who operate daily as our street sweepers, who have helped to reverse our image as the Qllce 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 who work in many spheres of our very dynamic public service, ond 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.

To our female Magistrates, female Judges, female Permanent Secretaries who have become the majority, the gratitude of my colleagues and I are immense. I think tn-at "in these areas where you have dominated and excelled, no issues of gender discrimination can seriously arise; in these areas, Lagos has truly become Ilubirin (The land of women).

To the women with whom I live and work on a daily basis directly, starting from my better half, the Chairperson af this Committee, Her Excellency, the First Lady af Lagas State, Mrs. Abimbala Fashola, even though I have known this for a while, your support at this critical period af my life, has been most inspirational.

Your personal words af advise, leadership at the home front have strengthened me in no small measure. Your contributions through your NGO, LEARN (Lagos Empowerment And Resource Network) by taking responsibility for thousands of our children through a well arganized summer school and camp have complemented our efforts to empower the next generation and I must spare a word to mention and appreciate the Vice-Chairman of the Committee, who has stood in whenever you have been away. Thank you Mrs. Mayowa Ikuforiji.

To my official other half, Her Excellency, the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Sarah Sosan, and the 3 (three) other Amazons in the cabinet, Princess Adenrele Adeniran-Ogunsanya, Mrs. Adejoke Orelape-Adefulire, recently voted Lagas State Person af the Year and Mrs. Sola Owaru, I thank you for your very robust contributions to our developmental efforts.

I mean you no patronage, because that is not my way. I express and convey only my very sincere acknowledgement for the record of your valuable contributions.

I cannot fail to acknowledge the roles of the legislature especially the Deputy Speaker, Mrs. Bola Badmus-Olubi and the generous arm of support our Government has received from the State House of Assembly where again women play a very critical leadership role.

Of course, the best must be saved for last, a Chief Judge in whom I am very proud, Hon. Justice Mrs. Inumidun Akande, who has fitted like a glove to a hand since her very first official function as Chief Hostess of the cocktail that heralded the Logos State's hosting of the most remarkable Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, an assemblage of over 10,000 lawyers tagged "Lagos 2009".

I will of course now proceed by going back to last year's theme, "Woman, who are you?" as we attempt to focus on this years theme which asks our women to "Rethink, Review and Resolve your Challenges".

If the women will permit me, I think their greatest challenge which they must rethink, and upon which they must review their focus, with a view to resolving is INJUSTICE.

It has manifested itself in various forms which in my view has probably been mistaken for an attack on their 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 make up psychologically and physiologically to being unfairly treated. This is a point which I think must be clearly understood.

The physiological and psychological make up of women which is a function of nature does not make them weak but makes t~em 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.

Physically, women are not naturally programmed for violent actions or reactions; that is the terrain or genetical make up of men. That is why majority of wars have been fought by more men than women. Nature cannot be wrong. That is why treaties and conventions have been evolved to protect women and children from wars.

Women must not give up this protection in the quest for equality. They must instead ask for equity in order to get justice. Women are less irrational in my view and more compassionate and these are strengths that our planet, country and State need in more measures, especially at this period of global crisis.

They have been my own voice of reason, when I have been inclined to rush into some decisions. I have been better for listening to them.

Women must therefore focus on these 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".

Women must say no to these forms of injustice while occupying positive leadership positions that are opened up, without losing their control of their natural sphere of life as the vessels of our life.

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.

Women, injustice is your challenge. I wish you happy deliberations as I assure you of the continued support of our Government to provide a safe port of habour for all our women, our vessels of life.

Thank you for listening.

Eko oni baje!

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Governor of Lagos State