Former Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, has revealed
that during his tenure from 2007 to 2015, he required his aides and
commissioners to join social clubs across the state.
This mandate, Fashola explained, was aimed at ensuring that
government policies and activities were more accessible and better understood
by the public.
“During our administration, I mandated my aides and
commissioners to join social clubs in Lagos so they could gain insights and
educate people about government policies wherever discussions were taking
place,” Fashola said.
Fashola, who also served as a former minister and is a
patron of the Eko Club, shared these insights during the club’s
50th-anniversary lecture last Wednesday.
The lecture was titled “The Role of Social Clubs in Social
Engineering.”
The ex-governor emphasised the importance of common interest
as a key pillar of social clubs and urged Eko Club to reinvigorate its focus on
sporting activities. Fashola noted that sports is a significant yet
underutilised source of employment, especially in an environment grappling with
high youth unemployment.
“Eko Club must return
to its sporting objectives and lead the revival of youth inter-club
competitions. We cannot rely solely on government efforts for the success of
our athletes at international sports events,” he said.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also called for the club to
be more engaged in matters of public interest.
He added that Eko Club should expand its role beyond hosting
events and be more involved in societal issues.
“It is my humble view that we have been somewhat detached
from issues that affect our common interests. Eko Club is too significant and
prestigious to be known merely as a venue for parties, anniversaries, and
weddings, important as these may be to social engineering,” Fashola remarked.
He encouraged the club to focus on its future rather than
dwelling excessively on its past, advising them to prioritize the next 50 years
of development.
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