January 2, 2015 – Lagos State Government said today that it has recorded the first successful cochlear implant surgery to restore hearing senses to a deaf person.
Governor Babatunde Fashola who revealed this at the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign rally held today in Badagry said the state government will sponsor the cochlear implant for many Nigerians with such hearing impairment.
” I start on a happy note. Yesterday, in this state, for the first time, we successfully carried out a cochlear implant surgery. What that means is that our doctors in our hospital has restored hearing back to somebody who was deaf.
“Before you have to travel out of Nigeria before you can get that kind of service, but a Nigerian doctor, came back home at my request, joined LASUTH and working with all our staff, this is the feat that has been performed at home. So, it means now that the door is open for a lot of our brothers and sisters, our children who have never heard a sound before, that they would begin to hear because we would expand that project.
“So, it shows you that our law to support disabled and physically challenged people is not about lip service, it’s about a deep commitment about how people can get on with their lives if government does what it should do. Those who are physically challenged are not disabled and they crave for a chance and opportunity to compete and so we have continued to intervene.
“In the blind school in Oshodi, we have built dormitories there, workshops, and this is the kind of government you have elected here. It’s not a government that you see only during election period. It is not a government that comes only once in four years.”
He said his administration recorded giant strides in the areas of infrastructural development in Badagry axis, saying the APC governorship candidate in the state Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode will complete the on going Lagos Badagry Expressway when voted into office.
” One of the places I started as a governor was in Badagry. I remember when I was seeking your votes in 2007, the most important thing that you discussed with me was that if I promise you that I will construct the Igbo Elerin road, you will vote. That time, you did not ask for Badagry Expressway because it was a federal road. You did not ask for Joseph Dosu. Have I done Igboelerin Road? Are u happy with it?
” But I did not stop there. Your government your party came to fix Market Street, Cemetery, and so many other roads where we have intervened. I have seen the poster about Iya Afin Road, we have started work there, if we do not finish it, Akinwunmi Ambode will finish it if you vote for him.
” We are in Iragbon, we are in Poka. We came here a few months ago to launch a Primary Health Care in Isheti for a 24-hour healthcare. One of the things that we saw was that a lot of people in this place had goitre. We came back after that and did investigations and surveys. We took several of them to LASUTH and performed surgeries for them all of which were successful.
” We did that free of charge, but the equipment for the surgeries where not free, those were your taxes, your levies and the contributions that you made. Now, on the federal side, the Badagry Expressway is their road, but we are the ones constructing it with tax payers’ money,” he said.
Earlier , APC governorship candidate in Lagos Mr. Akonwunmi Ambode promised to create new jobs for youths in the Badagry axis.
” We know Badagry has the greatest potentials for tourism and we can create jobs from it. We would bring governance back to the communities to help you and also help yourselves. We have decided that we would give you an employment trust fund that will give all of you access to finance.
” You would be able to do that job that you’ve always wanted to do. I was just given a chance like you. I never really believed I would be where I am today, so I want to give the youths of Badagry that same chance and that same opportunity for them to be the best they could be and that’s what our government has always done.
“You know we are trying as much as possible to create new roads for you. From Mile 2 to Badagry, we would complete that road. Projects that would enhance sports, entertainment and tourism, we would bring it to Badagry. Projects that Fashola has done, and the ones he didn’t complete, we would finish it and do new ones.
But how can we achieve all these? On the 14th of February, we should all vote for Buhari as President. Then on the 28th, we should also vote for Me and all APC candidates. If you want more, you have to vote for APC. At the centre, we need change, in Lagos state, we need continuity. That’s what we are going to get,” he said.
