The reported closure of Kogi State House of Assembly has been described as ridiculous falsehood.
A statement issued by the Director Information, Aka Adebayo Michael in Lokoja on Thursday, said while plenary sittings were duly adjourned, the clerk of the House, civil servants and staff of Kogi State House of Assembly Service Commission come to work regularly and on daily basis to carry out their duties.
Aka insisted that the unfounded allegation is basically aimed at tarnishing the image of the Speaker, Rt Hon Mathew Kolawole because of his rising political profile.
He stated that if the purpose of the false news report is targeted at smearing the robust relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government in Kogi state, then, it is dead on arrival.
Full Text of the Statement:
Ordinarily, Kogi State House of Assembly would not have given any dignity to the sponsor and writer of the write up; “Kogi Assembly Under Lock and Key” with a response due to the fact that the writer only compiled tissues of lies together and sold to the reading public so as to justify the money he collected and because he only assembled lies, he was afraid he could be liable in a court of law, he was afraid to show his identity by way of putting his bye line.
However, there is need for the reading public to be acquainted with the facts as they are and nothing but the truth at all time and even as the 2023 general elections gather momentum.
It should be noted that besides the Honourable members who come for plenary sittings on agreed days, there are the Honourable Clerk of the House and civil servants as well as Kogi State House of Assembly Service Commission’s staff who come to work regularly and on daily basis to carry out their duties. This is to say, it is not only the state legislators that come for sittings in the State Assembly, the staff come to work daily.
Of a truth, at the last plenary sitting, the House adjourned till April 26th,2022 but could not reconvene due to the Ramandan fasting. Subsequently, when the fasting was over and the public holidays followed, preparations for 2023 general elections started.
Though, the House would have reconvened but political meetings culminating in buying of interest and nomination forms by aspirants and thereafter submission of same and expected primary elections have not given room for the lawmakers to come for plenary sitting.
So to the best of the knowledge of the Hon Clerk of the House, Alh Sule Ahmed Chogudo, who is the Head of Legislative Service, the mace is not hidden.
There exists a cordial and robust working relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of government in the state. And if the purpose of this write up is targeted at smearing this robust relationship, it is dead on arrival.
Reading through the ridiculous write up, one would conclude that it is targeted at the person of the Rt Hon Speaker who was alleged to be consistently involved in financial misappropriation. Why should such write up come up now at a time preparations for 2023 elections are on top gear.
In essence, the unfounded allegation is basically aimed at tarnishing the image of RT Hon Mathew Kolawole because of his rising political profile. The writer said ” Our Reporter” without being bold enough to mention his medium is an indication that he wrote on assumption not truth.
The writer also lied that His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello was the one who directed that the State Assembly should be under lock and key. This is another naked lie that seekers of truth can easily verify.
One wonders why the writer could not tell the readers the medium through which the press release was issued, the date of the release and the personnel who signed the release.
If indeed the Governor authorised the closure as alleged by the writer, why then should the same Governor “continue to protect the Rt Hon Speaker from formal investigation…” as claimed by the faceless writer. There is no doubt that the sponsor and writer of this tissue of lies are confused and jealous and by all means are looking for the political downfall of the Rt Hon Speaker.
– Aka Adebayo Michael
Director Information
