•Dissolves local councils in Lagos
By Moshood Adebayo
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has urged family members, friends, political associates and well-wishers planning to place congratulatory messages through newspapers, radio and television to felicitate with him on his 53rd birthday next Tuesday to channel the same to the cause of advancing the fight against cancer.
This is the second year in a row that Ambode would appeal to his friends and others to do such.
Last year, he devoted his birthday to raise funds towards the fight against cancer, a move the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP-Nigeria), a group in the forefront of the war against cancer, said opened floodgates of support to the cause.
Ambode’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, in a statement yesterday, said the governor would, on his birthday, participate in a #GivingTuesday event being pioneered by CECP-Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Ambode has approved the dissolution of the 57 local governments councils and local council development areas in the state of their responsibilities as well the immediate dissolution of caretaker committees.
In a statement signed by his Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Tunji Bello, the governor also directed the Executive Secretaries to hand over the reins of administration to the Head of Administration in each of the Council Areas.
Governor Ambode had accepted a request by CECP-Nigeria, led by Dr. Christopher Kolade, to participate in #GivingTuesday to mark his birthday which coincidentally falls on a Tuesday.
Aruna said the #GivingTuesday is an initiative founded by the United Nations in 2012 as a global way of engendering and celebrating philanthropy and is observed worldwide, supported by business, political and social leaders who jointly champion fund-raising for community development.
The event would see the governor raise more awareness towards the quest to raise funds for a Mobile Cancer Centre in Lagos.
Ambode urged interested people to send their donations to CECP-Nigeria, Zenith Bank Account No: 1014594851, Sort Code- 057150013.
The statement also added that Governor Ambode during the event would be inducted as the Lagos State Patron of CECP.