Kolawole most qualified.
Our attention has been drawn to a sponsored write up orchestrated to smear the image of Rt Hon Prince Matthew Kolawole and the office of the Honourable Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly just to achieve the unbridled and inordinate ambition of some individuals.
The post is not just a big tissue of lies and a litany of preposterous and baseless allegations, the subsumed intent of the obviously sponsored write up reeks of an oozing and putrid defamation agenda, targeted at tarnishing and blemishing the impeccable and upright reputation of Prince Matthew Kolawole.
Not only are the assertions contained in the post utterly false, they are based in the febrile imaginations of the person by whom it is being peddled.
It is for this reason that we find cause to speak out where otherwise we would have continued to watch on in silent amusement.
It is a known fact that long before he was elected in 2015 as the Honourable member representing Kabba/Bunu State Constituency and Speaker of the Kogi Kogi Kogi State House of Assembly in 2017, Prince Matthew Kolawole has been and still remain an accomplished international business mogul with business links across the world.
Kolawole has been privileged to handle many assignments successfully in and out the country without any regrets. It is therefore not surprising that his tenure as the 12th Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly in the last nineteen months in office has been a success.
Due to his pedigree and outstanding performances, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Africa region (CPA) appointed him as member of the Executive Committee to represent North Central Nigeria, in the same vein, the Nigeria States Legislature Speakers elected him as their Financial Secretary last year for a tenure of two years.
It is on record, that Speaker Kolawole was the first speaker that introduced a quarterly magazine; the Kogi Hallowed Gavel for the State House of Assembly to report all activities of the House under his leadership including oversight functions.
He also introduced the printing of Annual Diaries and calendar, two editions dusted and has facilitated the purchase of an additional 300 kva power generator to solve the power challenges in the Assembly Complex permanently.
Under his leadership, the crisis-ridden House has remained peaceful ever since his emergence which has enabled the Assembly to pass over 50 bills in nineteenth months and 40 of it has been assented to by the Governor.
The cordial working relationship with the other arms is not without his purposeful leadership and the shallow appellation of ‘redundancy, unfocused and uninspiring’, is an indication that the author do not understand the meaning of the words he used.
One wonders what else any rational individual or group of persons expect from a Speaker that achieved these great feat in less than 20 months in office.
If not for mischief, malice and other reasons not noble, how will anyone say Prince Matthew Kolawole lacks political relevance in Kabba/Bunu State Constituency; where he contested and have won elections two consecutive times.
This is a feat no politician has achieved in the constituency, as he remain the first person to have won second term bid in the history of the constituency; a victory that has not been challenged in court.
An election he won with over 17,000 votes while his closest rival of PDP polled 8,000 votes. Who then is more of an asset to the party. a victory that have not contention in court.
It is on record that Kabba/Bunu state assembly elections remain one of the most peaceful, free, fair and credible elections in the country, in which he delivered his unit and wards to the APC in all elections.
Aside his monumental achievements as the Speaker, he has also achieved at the level of his constituency where he has organized many empowerment programs, ranging from the 155 beneficiaries of his skill acquisition program, over N3.5m expended on Ayede – Olle – Igbo electrification projects; communities that have not enjoyed electricity since creation now enjoy it, 350 beneficiaries for the education support program, payment of monthly stipend to over 120 youths, payment of medical bills, purchase of over 40 vehicles and 80 motorcycles, majority of the beneficiaries are party members, renovated health care center, town halls and the ongoing construction of two cottage hospitals in Ayede Bunu and Gbeleko Kabba, 312 constituents benefited from the general empowerment programs held in 2017, just to mention few.
That he loves to remain in hotel has been parts of his life as an hotelier, it is a known fact that Prince Matthew Kolawole owns hotels both in Nigeria and outside the country since 2009, so the writer missed it again.
We will advise Idris Ademu to go look for a work that can earn him a meaningful living rather than sojourn in the business of blackmail just to malign Speaker.
He should also take a stroll to Kabba/Bunu and ask of Prince Matthew Kolawole instead of allowing people of shallow minds to engage him in dirty jobs as this.
Signed:
Femi Olugbemi,
Chief Press Secretary to the Honourable Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly.
