Lagos Deputy Gov Seeks Cooperation Between Govt, People 

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Princess Victoria Orelope-Adefulire, on Sunday sought mutual cooperation between the Government and the people in order to move the State forward. 

The Inauguration/Thanksgiving Service organised by the Lagos State Government which was held at the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa with the Theme: “Divine Wisdom for a New Beginning”, came on the heels of a Muslim version of the service held on Friday at the Secretariat Mosque, Alausa, Ikeja. 

In her goodwill message at the service where she represented the governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), the Deputy Governor, who was accompanied by her husband, sought the cooperation of Lagosians in the governance of the state, saying the positive contribution of all residents was needed in order to achieve good governance and real development.

 Princess Orelope-Adefulire said the position of Lagos as the most populous state in the Nigerian Federation places a huge responsibility on the state and its residents to lead from the front in the deliverance of good governance in the country. 

“Lagos is the most populous state in Nigeria and that places on us enormous responsibility to lead from the front to make Nigeria great,” the Deputy Governor said, urging Lagos residents to play their part to ensure the effective handling of this responsibility. 

The Deputy Governor thanked God for granting Nigeria the grace to conduct successfully the 2011 General Elections.

She also expressed gratitude to the people of Lagos State for giving leadership opportunities to all the elected officers of the state government  from the Action Congress of Nigeria, giving assurance that their confidence would be upheld. 

“We have made a lot of promises to Lagosians and we pray that God will give us the strength, the wisdom and the ability to fulfill those promises,”

Princess Orelope-Adefulire said reiterating, however, that the cooperation of the people is needed for a resounding success. She also thanked religious leaders in the state for their prayers and other spiritual sacrifices which, according to her, saw the state and the country through to successful general elections.

“We shall continue to need your prayers and fasting for the continued delivery of excellent services to Lagosians”, she said. In a brief chat with newsmen after the service, the Deputy Governor said her new status would not diminish her passion and care for women and children adding that she would continue to do her best as Deputy Governor to ensure the welfare of women and children. “It is one government and we work as a team.

We will continue to play supervisory roles in the affairs concerning women and children,” she said. Earlier in his sermon at the service, the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Ministries, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, said the people of Nigeria and Lagos State are duty bound to be supportive to governments at both federal and state levels, pointing out that with enough support and cooperation from the people Nigeria and Lagos State would be much better. 

The cleric, who described the last general elections in Lagos as the freest and fairest, attributed the successes to the Almighty God, praying that with the wisdom of God, the nation’s leaders would deliver good governance to the people of Nigeria. 

Highlights of the event included the reading of the First Lesson of the service by the First Lady of Lagos State, Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola.

The reading was taken from the Book of Saint James, Chapter 5 verses 1 – 10. Also present at the service were the Head of Service, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe, Acting Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University, former Lagos State commissioners, members of the Body of Permanent Secretaries, leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress, Dr. Fredrick Fasheun and his wife, Party and religious leaders, traditional  rulers and other top government functionaries.