By Ayodele Olalere
The outgoing first lady of Lagos State, and Chairman of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), Mrs Bolanle Ambode, has officially handed over to the wife of the Governor-elect, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu.
Mrs. Ambode urged the incoming first lady to take the Committee to higher heights.
At a brief handing-over ceremony in Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, Mrs. Ambode lauded the vision of the founding mothers of the Committee, which is to compliment the efforts of government, in critical areas that are women and children-friendly.
According to her, the committee under her recorded remarkable improvement in the lives of women, girls and children, in vital areas such as health, empowerment, education and others.
“My lovely women, with all sense of modesty, we happily recall some of our collective achievements in the health sector of the state, by way of interventions in maternal and child health, year after year.
“The various phases of intervention led to the sponsorship of goiter surgery for 30 women, free hearing aids for 15 children, three women and two men; as well as the upgrading of the ENT Department of the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos. We also purchased and installed state-of-the-art audiology equipment, including Otoread OAE capable of detecting hearing defects in newborns,” she said.
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She added: “Other phases of intervention saw the procurement and donation of two Transport Incubator Ambulance to Gbagada General Hospital and Island Maternity Hospital, coupled with the donation of 32 neo-natal incubators to 13 General Hospitals and 6 fully fitted Birthing Suites for Amuwo-Odofin Maternal and Child Centre, Epe General Hospital and Island Maternity Hospital, Lagos, among others’.
Mrs Ambode thanked members of the committee for their robust support for her and her husband’s administration over the past four years, while also appreciating her predecessors for their kind advice and words of wisdom.”
In her response, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, commended the outgoing first lady for taking COWLSO to its current enviable height, promising that she would not deviate from the founding ideals of the committee.
“I thank my big sister, Her Excellency, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, for the great steps she has taken to move the committee to its current level. I thank her for the words of encouragement, that I should not be scared about the challenges of that office. I will do my best, God helping me, to move COWLSO to the next level, ” she promised.
Mrs. Sanwo-Olu also praised Governor Ambode for his generous attention to the committee, noting that governance was a continuum, adding that the in-coming administration would work hard to move the state to the next level.