Actress Sarah Martins has tendered a public apology after the Lagos state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, called her out for cooking on the road in the state.
The actress who takes out time to cook for destitutes and other hungry people, was warned by the Lagos state government last year, against cooking on the road.
The state government at the time, banned her from cook on the road, insisting that her actions were unsafe and against the traffic laws of the state.
Sarah stopped for a while but last week, she went back to the street and cooked again. According to her, she missed the street children and decided to go back and cook for them.
Wahab in a statement released on Saturday, March 7, condemned Sarah’s action. He mentioned that she has been cautioned before over her style of cooking and that he was suprised she went back to do the same thing. He stressed that while her philantropic activity is appreciated, cooking on the road is not permitted. He further said that she should desist from cooking on the road or risk facing apprehension and prosecution.
Sarah has now tendered an apology. Posting via her Instagram page, she wrote;
‘’Dear Honourable Commissioner Wahab Tokunbo,
I write with utmost respect regarding the concerns raised about my recent visit to cook with some vulnerable street children.
I would like to respectfully clarify that I did not cook on the walkway or on the main street. The meal was prepared in front of the King’s Palace under the supervision of security personnel, and the activity took place very far from the main road, ensuring that it did not obstruct movement or create any public nuisance.
The visit was simply born out of an emotional moment. I had deeply missed the bond I share with the vulnerable street children in that area. As I occasionally drive past that axis, the children often plead with me to come back and cook with them like I used to. On this particular day, I decided to spend some time with them and prepare a meal, purely to reconnect and create memories with the kids who have always shown me genuine love.
I would also like to emphasize that Mr. Seyi Tinubu ( @seyitinubu )generously empowered my foundation with a charity kitchen specifically to ensure that our feeding programs are conducted in a proper and organized environment. I do not take his generosity for granted, and my foundation has remained committed to using the charity kitchen for our regular feeding initiatives.
My brief return to that location was never intended to create any form of public nuisance, but simply to share a heartfelt moment with children who have continued to ask for my presence.
However, if my actions were perceived as inappropriate in any way, I sincerely apologize. I hold the laws and environmental standards of Lagos State in the highest regard. Going forward, I will ensure that all cooking activities are carried out strictly within the charity kitchen provided for the foundation.
Thank you for your understanding and for the great work your office continues to do in maintaining environmental order in Lagos State.
Yours respectfully,
Sarah Martins ‘
