Press Releases

Fashola Fetes Lagos Children, Urges Hardwork, Dedication

May 27, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Wednesday hosted children of the State to a celebration to mark this year’s Children’s Day urging them to embrace hardwork and commitment to their studies as the only sure way to success in life.

Fashola who spoke to the hundreds of children and teenagers from both public and private schools across the State at the Lagos House venue of the occasion, declared, “The road to success is hard work, it is painstaking and unrelenting dedication and commitment that can take you to the top”.

Stressing the need for the children to do well in their examinations, Governor Fashola, who said the State Government would not tolerate examination malpractices, pointed out that succeeding in examinations requires devoting time to their studies which also requires that they spend sometime away from football, toys, the television and other distractions as well as devoting time for revision.

“I urge you children to be peaceful and obedient; obedient to your parents and teachers, obedient to constituted authority, study hard and be good children”, the Governor exhorted, adding, “It is our responsibility to you to chart the course of that road to your success”.

The Governor pledged that he would revive the amusement parks around the State, saying Government would not stop at that but will create new areas of fun and leisure such as open parks, sports centres with modern facilities as well as entertainment centres where the children could express their energies and talents and enjoy themselves.

According to the Governor, “More open parks are coming, new centres are being built and sports centres; we will soon finish the Campos Playground and Sports Centre with modern facilities. We will soon complete the Agege Sports Centre and Sports Stadium”, adding, “All of these are a continuous expression of our recognition of the need to provide an avenue for you to express your energies, to express your talents and enjoy yourselves”.

Explaining reasons why the parks have not come, Governor Fashola pointed out that the State Government was focusing on transportation, construction of roads, provision of buses and ferries so that it would be easy for the children to have easy access to the facilities.

Governor Fashola commended the children for demonstrating the virtue of cleanliness saying, “I have seen you at various events expressing knowledge, doing things as adults can do them and sometimes better. Today, you have demonstrated at the Police College Ground that we can have a big event like this without litter and looking around again here in this Car Park, I can see that we have eaten a lot, I see that we have drank a lot yet I can see that the bins are full and no litter on the ground”.

“I am very proud of what we have achieved. It means starting with you is the most important step we would have taken because the future truly belongs to you and I believe that you can begin to represent a new way of life, a new Lagos we truly deserve”, the Governor said, adding, “In all, what we are doing is trying to develop you as leaders”.

Wishing the children a happy celebration, Governor Fashola, who noted that the celebration coincided with the 42nd birthday of Lagos State which was created on May 27, 1967, said the State has witnessed so much progress in spite of the challenges she has faced, adding, “It continues to be a favoured destination for all people, irrespective of tribe, religion, ethnic origin and culture and, somehow, it has resulted in a mini-Nigeria where everybody finds expression, happiness and opportunities the way all of the families of you children here have done”.

In her remarks at the occasion, the First Lady, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola urged the children to be obedient to their parents and teachers as well as to constituted authority, urging them also to be dedicated to their studies as the sure way to success in their examinations.

Earlier in her remarks, the Speaker of the State’s Children’s Parliament, expressed appreciation to the Governor for the work his administration is doing, especially, in putting necessary facilities in place to give the children and youth of the State the opportunity to develop into responsible citizens.

“We are solidly behind the effort to give us a voice through Children’s Parliament, the One Day Governor Initiative. Your efforts through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in stemming the problem of child abuse through Yellow Card Initiative, the construction of a Shelter for victims of Human Trafficking , Mass De-worming of primary school children are well noticed and appreciated by us”, the Speaker said, adding that the Children’s Parliament has, since inception, served as a platform for advocacy and sensitization of selected stakeholders in the sphere of childhood education, care giving and child’s right advocacy.

The occasion which witnessed colourful cultural presentations and dances as well as carnival, also had in attendance the Deputy Governor, Princess Adebisi Sosan, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. (Mrs.) Joke Orelope-Adefulire, other top government functionaries and school heads, as well as teachers and parents.