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Mrs. Abimbola Fashola (R) receiving a cheque of forty eight million and five hundred thousand naira from Mr. Ashley Cowen (L) to sponsor a project.


Mrs. Abimbola Fashola (3rd R) presenting a cheque of forty eight million and five hundred thousand naira to Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN.

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Mar 25, 2009 - Abimbola Fashola Challenges Lagosians To Protect The Environment

First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, on Wednesday challenged Lagosians, especially residents of Alimosho Local Government to protect the environment in their fight against malaria and other childhood diseases.

Mrs Fashola, who received a donation of forty eight million and five hundred naira from the joint British Airways (BA) and UNICEF Change-For-Good programme on the behalf of Lagos State Government, expressed her great joy for this good gesture.

Responding to this medical aid, Mrs Fashola reminded Lagosians that “If they are doing this for us, and remembering us through medical aids and all that, I think it is only right for us to protect our own environment as well”.

The really surprised First Lady said: “Little would you know that when you fly the BA and you are being reminded to, please, take the envelope and put whatever coins you are having there”, Mrs Fashola said, adding that “They are not even asking you for notes. They ask for coins”.

According to the First Lady, Alimosho Local Government is the most populated region of the state, noting that “It is a good thing that they have brought it (donation) to Alimosho”.

Mrs Fashola restated the deadly dangers of malaria to pregnant women and nursing mothers. She, therefore, implored Lagosians to take good care of their environment.

“We have been reminded that malaria kills. Malaria kills the woman if she is pregnant, kills even after she has given birth if we don't take care of our environment. We need to make our drainage work well. We need to ensure that we don't have stagnant water around us”, the First Lady said.

The First Lady advised the residents of Alimosho to prudently use the donated resources, stating that, “If you have the treated mosquito net tied up by your bed and you are not putting it up at night and even in the afternoon when your child is sleeping, you still have not protected that child and you have not used that money they have given us well”.

Mrs Fashola reiterated the need to judiciously account for the donated funds at the appropriate time, adding that, “This time next year when they come round to say what have you done with our money? We would be too proud to show them our environment and to show them what we have done and our children that have survived”.

Residents of Alimosho chorused in agreement with the First Lady to clean up the environment in order to curtail communicable diseases causing high infant mortality rates in Africa.

Speaking earlier, General Manager of British Airways for Africa, Asia and Pacific Region, Mr. Ashley Cowen stated that BA has collected more than twenty five million pound sterling from voluntary donations to execute different projects, jointly with UNICEF, in more than fifty five countries.

Present at this donation and presentation of the cheque were the wife of the Lagos State Speaker, Mrs. Mayowa Ikuforiji, UNICEF Chief of Programme Communications, Mrs. Nans Weber, members of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) and other top officials of BA and UNICEF.