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Fashola, Carrington, Others Call For Enthronment Of Right Societal Values

Jun 1, 2010 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Walter Carrington and Nigeria's former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade, Tuesday called for the enthronement of right societal values in the country as the only means to stem crime and other vices that have bedeviled the nation.

Governor Fashola spoke at a symposium, organized by the Centre for Values and Social Change, with the title, "The Values That Brought Obama to Office" at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island where Mr. Carrington and Dr. Kolade also presented papers on the same subject.

In his remarks at the occasion, Governor Fashola lamented the rapid erosion of societal values in the country warning that if nothing is done to stem the tide; the country would eventually become ungovernable as a nation without values cannot progress.

Citing examples with the attitude of people to prayers at public functions, Governor Fashola said, "The erosion of values has become evident even at public functions when Nigerians are called to prayer; they are unsure as to whether to stand or sit", recalling that during his school days, immediately there was a call to pray, students not only stood but must also bow their heads.

"All these are as a result of loss of values and the sooner we do something to stem this loss the better for this nation. It is values that determine what people judge to be right and when the right values flow in society, the issues of crime, murder, kidnapping diminish in the land not just because there are more efficient Police but because with the right values people go for what is good", the Governor said.

According to the Governor, "It is values that help people to determine what is right and what actions to take. It is values that help people in self-assessment, to ask the question, 'Am I deserving of this?' When there are no values, a man who is undeserving of gold aspires to it and prays to God, the same God to whom the man who has worked day and night in preparation for the same gold also serves".

"The right values will help a man to determine when any pursuit is no longer ethical; at what point he has to say 'if this is what it takes to become President, to become governor, I don't want it, keep it", Governor Fashola said.

He extolled the virtues of Mr. Carrington and Dr. Kolade, the two Guest Speakers saying because of their Spartan and enviable lives, there could not have been any better choice of speakers to do justice to the subject.

"I believe that we couldn't have had more competent speakers than these two men whom the organizers have so carefully and appropriately chosen to make presentations for this. They would be able to able to do more than justice to the subject", he said.

In his Presentation, Mr. Carrington, who described the political rise of President Barrack Obama as rapid, traced his steady rise to prominence pointing out that as at early 1960s when the United President was born, the prospect of a Blackman becoming President of the United States was very remote.

Carrington, however, said that between the 1980s and 1990s, the Blackman in the United States had made such a rapid progress politically with the disappearance of racial segregation in the country adding that Obama's rise to prominence was the ultimate triumph of the civil rights in the country.

"By this time a new generation of African-Americans has arisen and were determined to eradicate racial segregation that made them second class citizens in many parts of the United States of America ever since the abolition of slavery many centuries ago", Carrington said.

He commended the organizers of the symposium for their choice of subject saying the enthronement of right values in the country would go a long way in correcting some of the ills that have for many decades stalled the development of the country.

Earlier in his welcome address, the General Overseer of the Guiding Light Assembly and Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Pastor Wale Adefarasin, said the symposium is their contribution to the efforts by segments of the Nigerian society to enthrone the right value system and aid the growth of democracy in the country.

He praised Governor Fashola for his efforts in enthroning good governance and leadership in the country saying for Nigeria to be blessed with such a leader today means that all hopes were not lost for the country.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of the Centre for Values and Social Change (CVSC), Dr. Olufemi Oluniyi said for Nigeria to move forward, the citizens should focus on the potentials that exist in the country and the means for transformation of the society in the hope that better days lie ahead.

Lamenting that most Nigerians speak of the country "as if it is fated inexorably for a downward spiral", the Executive Director declared, "We envision a society which upholds fundamental human rights, a people who embrace diligence, fair competition, merit and excellence".

Also present at the occasion were the General Overseer of Fountain of Life Church, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, Chief Executive Officer of Channels Television, Mr. John Momoh, former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Femi Pedro, Chairman of Alizade Motors, Chief Michael Ade Ojo, members of the Board of CVSC and members of Civil Society organizations as well as top government functionaries.