Former Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, has revealed that during his tenure from 2007 to 2015, he required his aides and commissioners to join social clubs across the state.

This mandate, Fashola explained, was aimed at ensuring that government policies and activities were more accessible and better understood by the public.

“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.

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.”

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 said.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also called for the club to be more engaged in matters of public interest.

He added that Eko Club should expand its role beyond hosting events and be more involved in societal issues.

“It is my humble view that we have been somewhat detached from issues that affect our common interests. Eko Club is too significant and prestigious to be known merely as a venue for parties, anniversaries, and weddings, important as these may be to social engineering,” Fashola remarked.

He encouraged the club to focus on its future rather than dwelling excessively on its past, advising them to prioritize the next 50 years of development.

[Punch]