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Tag: Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO)

  • Governor’s wife leads others to impact residents on free health care

    Governor’s wife leads others to impact residents on free health care

    Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) has taken its free medical outreach to Makoko, offering residents health care as part of activities marking 25th anniversary of National Women’s Conference.

    The governor’s wife and Chair of COWLSO, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, in her address at the  kick off at Yaba LCDA, said the intervention was conceived to tackle health inequalities and expand access to life-saving care.

    “This outreach is a special gift to our communities, a way of giving back and ensuring residents access to free, quality, and life-saving healthcare services,” she said.

    She noted that the initiative had previously been held in Mushin, benefiting thousands, and would conclude in Epe on September 2 and 3.

    In Makoko, Sanwo-Olu said residents would receive free screening for hypertension, diabetes, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, eye conditions, cervical and breast cancer, as well as dental checks and health education.

    “These services, if accessed in hospitals, cost a lot of money, but COWLSO is offering them free of charge as part of our contribution to improving public health,” she explained.

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    Its theme is “Healthy for All: Bridging Gaps, Building a Healthy Future.”

    According to Mrs. Sanwo-Olu, the theme reflects the  need to close healthcare gaps and promote preventive care.

    “Preventive care, through regular medical checkups, remains the best way to detect illnesses early, manage them effectively, and reduce cost of treatment in the long run.”

    She tied the initiative to state policies, stressing that health remains a central priority in Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

    “Under our governor, the state has been repositioning the health sector to deliver efficient, affordable, and inclusive services. The Ilera Eko Health Insurance Scheme is an example of this commitment, and I encourage residents to take advantage of this scheme to secure access to quality healthcare at minimal cost,” she said.

    She acknowledged interventions of First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, through Renewed Hope Initiative, which she said is positively impacting lives in health, education, agriculture, social investment, and economic empowerment.

    The governor’s wife urged residents to take responsibility for healthier living.

    “Engage in regular exercise, eat more fruits and vegetables, cut down on salt and sugar, and maintain a healthy weight. These small, consistent steps can make a difference in preventing diseases and prolonging life,” she advised.

    She assured that COWLSO would sustain initiatives that complement government healthcare delivery in communities.

    Chair of the LCDA, Bayo Adefuye, said it is a timely intervention. “Good health is the foundation of a prosperous community, and the theme could not have come at a better time. It is a reminder that access to quality healthcare is a right. This project is designed to restore hope,” he said.

    Adefuye lauded Mrs Sanwo-Olu’s passion for Lagosians and acknowledged the Ambode Era Subgroup.

    He noted that Yaba LCDA has placed healthcare at the front burner and urged residents to fully utilise the services.

    “Building a healthy future requires the cooperation of all,” he added.

    Dignitaries at the event include HRH Oba Adeshina Owolabi, Oba Igbobi Sabe Maforunyomi 1, represented by HRM Alaka Yusuf ( Aaro of Igbobi Sabe); HRH Oba Owolabi Suleiman Ogun-Oloko (Olu of Iwaya), represented by Mr Clever Anthony; Hon Jide Jimoh (FCT Civil Service Commission); among others.

  • COWLSO: ‘Women must be committed to national development’

    COWLSO: ‘Women must be committed to national development’

    The Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) has advised women to be assertive in their actions in order to contribute to national development.

    This was one of the recommendations at this year’s National Women’s Conference organised by COWLSO at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    In her remarks, the wife of Lagos State Governor and Chairman of COWLSO Mrs Bolanle Ambode urged participants to deploy the knowledge gained at the confab for their personal benefits.

    Mrs. Ambode said women should embrace entrepreneurship at this challenging period to make positive impact.

    In the area of agriculture, she challenged women to have good mentors, and to be consistent and persistent in doing things right as challenges were stepping stones to success.

    She also urged them to take advantage of the paradigm shift from crude oil to the agricultural sector as major revenue earner for the country.

    The wife of the governor said one of the things learnt during the conference was that stress contributes to death of six out of 10 people worldwide, adding that as such, women should conduct annual comprehensive medical check-ups, exercise regularly, maintain ideal body weight and shun habits such as smoking and hard drugs, among others.

    Speaking, Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode urged women to implement all 21 resolutions reached at this year’s COWLSO Conference ahead of the 2018 edition.

    The governor reiterated government’s commitment towards supporting the course of women in Lagos State.

    The special guest of honour, the Governor of Adamawa State, Bindo Jibrilla, represented by his deputy, Matis Babale, in declaring the conference closed, urged women to be nation-builders. He urged them to be creative and industrious, so as to positively transform the family, community and the nation at large.

    The communique read by Prof. Ibiyemi Bello also advised women to have entrepreneurial disposition which would be helpful in overcoming challenging situations.

    The conference said there should be more advocacies to encourage women to explore their innate abilities to make a difference.

    The conference admonished women to source for funds through grants, equity and debt financing.

    The conference also urged government to provide land and environment conducive to good farming for women farmers, adding that women could source funds through grants, equity and debt financing, among others. The communique urged government to provide more opportunities and full support for young women and youths to acquire skills for agri-business, while women should be empowered to take care of the family, community, and nation, among others.

    Recall that three cars were won last year, while six cars, comprising one Hyundai 110 and five MG cars were won alongside all expenses paid trips to Dubai among other gifts won at the gala night.

    Certificates of appreciation were presented to friends of COWLSO who included Chief Michael Ade-Ojo; Chi-Nigeria Limited and Chevron Nigeria Limited.

  • Oshiomhole lauds Ambode’s initiatives on Lagos traffic logjam

    Oshiomhole lauds Ambode’s initiatives on Lagos traffic logjam

    Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on Wednesday commended his Lagos State counterpart, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode for his various interventions in the last 18 months of his administration, saying that it has greatly impacted on the State, especially in the area of traffic reduction.

    Oshiomhole, who spoke at the closing ceremony of the 16th National Women Conference, organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), commended the wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, particularly for sustaining COWLSO since its establishment, adding that the choice of the theme for this year’s Conference “Strong Family, Strong Nation’, was quite instructive.

    Speaking on the specific challenges posed by modern lifestyle on the family where the parents would have to leave home early and come home late, Oshiomhole said Governor Ambode, with his strategic traffic management initiatives was to a very large extent addressing the challenges.

    Oshiomhole said, “As I was coming to this place today, I noticed something that I think is worth celebrating because of its impact in helping family unity and family union. Why will you wake up at 5am or 4am just to be at work at 8am devoting all the time to traffic?

    “The reason was because of the huge traffic challenges but when I received the invitation for today’s event and I was advised that it was 10am and I know my brother, Governor Ambode keeps to time, I said we have to get up early and I told my wife that we are going to spend about two hours from Ikeja Airport to get to Ikoyi, but I was very pleasantly surprised that coming from Ikeja to this place, it was like flying a first class aircraft from Alausa to the heart of Ikoyi.”

    “When I got here, I was asking the Governor on how he did it and he shared with me the interventions put in place within months of his assumption of office that have helped to completely reorder the traffic in Lagos such that when we slow down to about 20km per hour, we noticed people asking what is causing this go slow but things have changed so much.”

    He said the interventions of the Governor was not only reducing traffic and fuel consumption, but was also bringing back the good times of family bonding as travel time has reduced, hence husbands and wives don’t have excuse of traffic to get home late or leave very early.

    Oshiomhole said over the years as Governor of Edo State, he has had cause to learn and borrow from the template Lagos was running, expressing optimism that his successor and Governor-elect, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, would be willing to borrow a leaf from the COWLSO Conference as well as the traffic management strategy of Lagos.

    “We borrowed what is happening in Lagos to make the case for Godwin Obaseki in Edo that Nigeria must move away from a tradition in which you have to be a celebrated politician to become eligible to contest for a political office, and that what we need in times like this are skills and people with managerial acumen and competence and we readily referred to Lagos as an example of what works with a seasoned and indisputable leader like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu laying the foundation, dreaming big, dreaming clearly and setting the vision and identifying capable young men and women to translate those vision in a manner that is unprecedented in the history of our country,” Oshiomhole said.

    He added that with the achievements of Governor Ambode, so far, he (the Governor) has shown that the only poverty to address is the poverty of ideas, adding that once the brain is creative and imaginative with a Governor that is ready to apply himself, there is no problem that would defer solution.

    “You have shown that our task as leaders is not to lament what does not work but to think through how to make it work and that you are doing; that you have done and I know that you will continue to do,” Oshiomhole said.

    Earlier in her remarks, wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode said the three-day conference had opened the mind of participants to new ideas, information and statistics, saying that the women are better empowered to become change agents.

    She explained that the success story of the conference could not have been without the excellent cooperation of the women who form COWLSO, just as she admonished them to put all what they were taught at the conference into use in their respective offices and homes.

     

  • Nation building: Ambode, Ajimobi, Aregbesola harp on Role of family

    Nation building: Ambode, Ajimobi, Aregbesola harp on Role of family

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, his counterparts in Oyo and Osun States, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on Monday said that if the nation must make meaningful progress, the family, which is the mirror by which any society is measured, must be strengthened.
    The trio, who spoke at the opening ceremony of the 16th National Women Conference, organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), said as much as the family is the reflection of the society, government at all levels must give priorities to issues as it affects the women, who are the bedrock of the family must also be empowered to flourish in her career and the home front.

    In his goodwill message, Governor Ambode said while the importance of the family unit to the overall development of the nation was not in doubt, much emphasis must be placed in the commitment towards strengthening the family unit and building strong moral values.

    “The importance of the family unit to the overall development of any nation is not in doubt. The family is the foundation and smallest unit of any nation. The heart and conscience of a nation is formed, to a large extent, in the family. However, the issue is the amount of commitment we, in our individual capacities and as a nation, have shown towards strengthening the family unit.

    “With Strong Families, we can build a Strong Nation. But Strong Families will only exist in a society where nobody is left behind, where everybody has a voice and a stake. This is one of the toughest challenges facing governments – “to build an all-inclusive society”, the Governor said.

    He said his administration recognizes the critical need for societal inclusion and thus has initiated policies aimed at guaranteeing equal opportunities and participation for all Lagosians.

    He said that his administration remains totally committed to empowering women as well as protecting the girl-child against all forms of negative vices, while creating viable platforms for families to bond and recreate.

    “Women are the glue that hold families together and we believe strongly that an empowered woman, with a sense of self-esteem, will be better positioned to make a success of her career and at the same time be a pillar of strength for the family,” Governor Ambode said.

    He said the decision of his administration to resuscitate the famous Apapa Amusement Park while speeding up work on Ipakodo Park in Ikorodu, Badagry Recreational Park and Ajako/Alimosho Park was beyond boosting the tourism potential of the State, but to serve as meeting points for families to relax and have fun together.

    In his goodwill message, Governor Ajimobi said the family as the building block of the nation must be given top priority, therefore, according to him, women who holds the chord that binds the family together, must be empowered to thrive both in their career and the home front.

    Corroborating him, Governor Aregbesola said that if the family must be strengthened, the women who are saddled with the responsibility of building the home front must be encouraged and celebrated.

    Declaring the conference open, wife of the President, Hajiya Aishat Buhari, said that COWLSO has emerged as of the many things that have put Lagos in the unique class of excellence.

    “What strikes me the most about the committee is that, it is an intellectual and philanthropic association, established to complement the efforts of the Lagos State Government to improve the welfare and well-being of the good people of this state,” she said.

    The President’s wife who was represented by the wife of the Governor of Imo State, Mrs. Nkechi Okorocha, said the importance of strong family values must continue to be emphasized, saying that the absence of it gives rise to the challenges of poverty, crime and declining school performance.

    Earlier in her remarks, Wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode said the theme of the Conference, ‘Strong Family, Strong Nation’, was carefully chosen in recognition of the fact that the strength of a nation is linked to the strength of its family units.

    Mrs Ambode, who is also the Chairman of COWLSO, traced most of the social challenges currently confronting the nation, including drug addiction, cultism, teenage pregnancy, kidnapping, child abuse, domestic violence, armed robbery and others have their foundation in dysfunctional family units.

    “When family units are bound together in love and children are raised in the fear of God and high socio-moral values, it begets a good and peaceful society and country, where social vices are reduced to the barest minimum. To build a strong and virile country therefore, we must go back and build strong family units,” Mrs Ambode said.

    Highlight of the event was the presentation of the Inspirational Woman of the Year Award to Mrs. Tara Fela-Durotoye and the investiture of Senator Oluremi Tinubu as the Grand Matron of COWLSO.

  • Ambode reiterates zero tolerance to noise pollution

    Ambode reiterates zero tolerance to noise pollution

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday restated the government’s resolve to enforce relevant regulations on noise pollution in the state.

    He made the remarks when the MTN Foundation distributed 250 hearing aid devices to beneficiaries in the state, including children less than one year old.

    The Governor who was represented by his Special Adviser on Primary Health, Dr. Femi Onanuga, stressed that no individual or corporate organisation would be spared in government’s renewed onslaught against defaulters.

    He urged the 250 beneficiaries of the MTN Foundation Hearing Aid support project in Lagos State to join the crusade of campaign against noise pollution in the society.

    It is the first phase of MTN Hearing Aid Support Project, during which 1,500 devices will be distributed to hard-of-hearing persons in six states of the country.

    Also speaking, Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, described MTN as a company with a high sense of commitment to the execution of corporate social responsibilities.

    Handing the device to some beneficiaries, Mrs. Ambode said, “All these years, the company has maintained a clear lead in diligent fulfillment of its social covenant with the people and society. Its outreaches had touched a large percentage of the population across all age categories”.

    She hinted that coincidentally, the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), would do a similar programme later in the year, urging the beneficiaries to use the devices as instructed and also handle them with care.

    Speaking earlier, the Director, MTN Foundation, Mr. Denis Okoro stressed the commitment of the foundation to continuous upliftment of the welfare of challenged persons.

    He also thanked the State Government for being the first to establish a department totally dedicated to overseeing the welfare of challenged persons.