Wife of the Lagos State governor, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu has denied association with a non-governmental organisation known as South-Westhire Health Trust in removing mentally challenged persons from the streets of Lagos.
A statement signed by Olubukonla Nwonah, an assistant director, public affairs, in the office of the Lagos first lady, said although the NGO had paid a courtesy visit to the governor’s wife where it raised the issue of the mentality deraigned persons, Sanwo-Olu did not, however gave her expressed approval, as she was still studying the proposal.
“The attention of the Office of First Lady of Lagos State has been drawn to a brochure of events by a non – governmental organisation that goes by the name; “South-Westhire Health Trust” planning to remove mentally challenged people from the streets of Lagos between 12th and 20th November, 2019.
In the brochure, the management of South-Westshire Health Trust purportedly claimed that the planned removal of the mentally challenged persons from the streets is in partnership with the office of the first lady of Lagos State. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Whilst it was true that the management of the said NGO paid a courtesy visit to the first lady to solicit for partnership, the first lady made it abundantly clear that some background checks would have to be conducted on the said NGO to ascertain the safety of the mentally challenged persons to be removed from the streets.”
The statement further explained that Sanwo-Olu’s wife specifically told the management of South-Westhire Health Trust that the safety of the mentally challenged persons was important and the office of the first lady would have to conduct an espionage into the background of the NGO to be sure that the mentally ill persons would be in safe hands.
“Without getting due approval from the office of the first lady, South-Westshire Health Trust went on to print the said brochure in a preposterous manner and attributed the initiative to the first lady.
The general public is hereby urged to disregard the claim purportedly linking the office of the first lady to the programme in its entirety,” the statement said.
Joshua Bassey
