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Mrs. Abimbola Fashola (L) presenting the Diploma Certificate to a Graduand during 2009 Graduation Ceremony of the Lagoon Secondary School.


Mrs. Abimbola Fashola (3rd L) cutting the cake with Graduands and officials of Lagoon Secondary School to mark Graduation Ceremony.

Speeches

Jul 11, 2009 - Lagoon Secondary School Graduation Ceremony

Good afternoon

I am honoured to be here and to share the joy of this moment with the graduands, students, management, staff, proud parents, friends and well wishers of Lagoon Secondary School. Congratulations to all the graduating students.

Big congratulations also to the founders of the Nigerian Association for Women’s Advancement and all those who have worked so hard to keep faith with the vision and mission of ensuring all round development of the girl child which gave birth to this school 14 years ago. Each graduation ceremony such as this must also be a time to salute the vision and courage of those who founded this school at a time when there was the global clamour for women empowerment and creation of equal opportunities for the feminine gender to grow and realise their potentials to the fullest.

There is no greater tool of empowerment than education as it is the most important legacy that parents can give to their children. A well educated child is a good successor and pride not only to his or her parents but also to the society because such a child is a potential leader and an asset to his or her generation. The vision of the present administration in Lagos State under the leadership of His Excellency, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, has demonstrated strong commitment to reforms of the public school systems so as to guarantee quality education and to prepare tomorrow’s leaders for the challenges of the 21st century.

My dear graduands, as we celebrate with you on this occasion which marks a successful completion of a stage in your academic career, it also marks a new beginning for another very crucial stage. This next phase is where your ability to manage your new found independence will be put to test. It is very important that you do not misuse it because if you do, it will have serious consequences on your dream of achieving excellence in your academics and indeed your future endeavours.

As you move forward in pursuit of higher education, you need to constantly remember that a lot is expected of you and your generation to bring about the changes that we desire in our nation. It is a process that must start with you as individuals. This change is about doing the right things at all times and being a good example for others to emulate. It is about being honest in everything that you do, believing in the virtue of hard work as the price you must pay for success and resisting the temptation to engage in any act that may make people doubt your level of integrity.

As leaders of tomorrow, who truly care about this nation, these are the virtues you need to imbibe and demonstrate in your attitude, life style.

This is even more important considering the fact that you are future mothers who would have the responsibility of raising future generations. Your ability to inculcate those virtues in your children as mothers would naturally depend on how much of these virtues you have and exhibit. I pray that God will continue to guide you and bless your parents as they strive to give you a solid foundation for a brighter and rewarding future.

Once again, I congratulate you and wish you all the best of luck.

Thank you and God bless you all.

Her Excellency
Mrs. Abimbola Fashola
First Lady of Lagos State