Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, on Wednesday expressed optimisim that the State would produce its first elected female Governor soon.
The Governor said this at the Exco Chambers, Lagos House in Ikeja when he received the One-Day Governor and One-Day Deputy Governor of the State.
The One-Day Governor of the State, Miss Zuffon Bukola, emerged as the One-Day Governor after she won at a keenly-contested Spelling Bee Competition in June, 2017.
She is a 16-year-old SSS 2 student of Awodiora Senior Secondary School, Ajegunle.
The One-Day Deputy Governor of the State, Miss Rosemary Ogidan, also an SSS 2 student of Methodist Senior High School, Badagry, happened to finish in the Spelling Bee Competition as runner up.
The emergence of these two as One-Day Governor and One-Day Deputy Governor prompted Governor Ambode to say that it indicates that Lagos State can likewise elect a female Governor.
“This is a significant day for Lagos State and it also signals what the future actually holds for Lagos State, in which we have seated here, two female strong members of the new State Executive Council, and we have a female Governor and a female Deupty Governor.
“It is also telling us a story about what the future of Lagos is all about, that one day, we would find, seated here, not just a day Governor, but for a period or tenure of four years, there would be a female Governor in this State.”
The Governor further commended Zuffon and her cabinet members for showing that the money spent on the Education Sector in the State was not in vain.
As encouragement, Governor Ambode awarded full scholarships to Miss Zuffon and Miss Ogidan, plus a cash donation of N1 million to each of them.
A cash donation of N500,000 was also awarded to each member of the One-Day Governor’s Cabinet which included Master Tovishede Ayobami (Secretary to the State Government), Master Philip Daniel (Speaker of the House of Assembly), Master Durojaiye Oluwasegun (Commissioner for Education) and Master Atabo Ufedojo (Commissioner for Science and Technology).
Miss Zuffon also seized the opportunity to request for a School bus, renovation of her School’s Multipurpose Hall, and construction of drainage channels in her school, which Governor Ambode expressly granted.
The wife of the State Governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, also congratulated Zuffon and her Cabinet members, and charged them to remain focused and study harder. She prayed that God would take them to higher positions in life.