358 Views
By Friday Etim
LAGOS – The 2019 edition of committee of wives of Lagos state officials (COWLSO) kicks off today 22nd of October at Eko hotel as dignitaries storms the first day of the 19th edition.
The occasion which was graced by Her Excellency Aishat Buhari which was ably represented by the wife of the vice President Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, also the former first lady of Lagos state who is now a senator, Oluremi Tinubu, the speaker house of Representives Femi Gbajabiamila and his wife, also Ogun state Governor prince Dapo Abiodun and his bamidele Abiodun, deputy governor of Lagos state Obafemi Hamzart and Mrs oluremi, Kwara state Governor Abdul Raman Abdul Rasak, APC Chairman in Lagos state, Tunde balogun, women leader jumoke Okoya among others.
According to the chairman committee ibijoke sanwo-olu said this year edition will be very unique and we will teach our women how we can position ourselves as a responsible women in our state, society and Nigeria at large as our theme for this year is LEARN, UNLEARN, RELEARN.
We need to bring out new idea, new innovation and our women needs to think out of the box, we need to show the world that COWLSO got talents. Nike Adeyemi 2 others honoured as 2019 most inspirational women.
The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun in his goodwill message said that it is regrettable that women are not given adequate recognition for their contributions to building an egalitarian society and prosperous nation.
“I want to appreciate our women for working towards improving their communities and the world at large. It is regretable that women are not always recognised for their contributions to the society. But it is important to acknowledge their far-reaching inputs as they are engaged in risky tasks on a daily basis,” he said.
He noted that the Nigerian culture places more value on learning by emphasising on new ways of doing things, as opposed to repeating the mistakes of the past.
“To succeed today, we must be in a constant state of adaptation – by unlearning old roles and (re)learning new ones. That requires continually questioning assumptions of how things work, challenging old paradigms and learning what is now relevant to your jobs, career and life,” he said.
Governor Abiodun, who stressed that women should be encouraged to participate in public and private governance, as a good number of them are hardworking breadwinners with high levels of problems solving skills, added that “to hold a woman back is to hold the society back.”
He said the COWLSO through the conference had opened a template for strategic thinking and successful reorientation of the people’s mindset, enjoining the people to, “unlearn the technology and methodology we use, to unlearn how we approach our issues, to unlearn the way we communicate our values, to unlearn the skills, knowledge needed – to get to the next level”.
Governor Abiodun observed that change was the only constant thing in life, and learning how to adopt it was not just important to survival, but it was also important to thrive in the bigger scene of life.
The Speaker, House of Representative on his part, noted that education is the major way to empower women, adding that the House had launched a 92-page legislative agenda which focused on gender equality.
He noted that women are very important to nation building, as they are an integral part of the larger society.
According to the chief host, the executive Governor of Lagos state Mr babajide Sanwo-olu said the goal of COWLSO is to impact knowledge to all the participants. Health environment is among the 5 pillars we must develop in Lagos state
he wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, represented by Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, the wife of the Vice President, said the programme availed women the opportunity to rub minds and find a way forward to a better home, adding that women had the opportunity to build a better Nigeria.