Former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola has disclosed that he ordered his aides and commissioners to join social clubs during his administration from 2007 to 2015.
According to Fashola, he made the decision because he wanted his employees to gain insight and educate people on government policies.
The erstwhile governor explained that his mission was to ensure that government policies and activities were more accessible and better understood by the public.
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.”
“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.
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 added.