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The Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mathew Kolawole has on behalf of the sixth assembly promised to support the development of the sport sub sector in the State.
The Speaker disclosed this during a courtesy visit by top officials of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development at the Assembly complex in Lokoja.
According to him, he is not only a sport enthusiast but a sport administrator per excellence, stressing that what God has assisted him to achieve through sports is tremendous and will therefore not close his eyes to sports.
He said as an outstanding tennis player, he was given employment in the ministry before he later became a Consultant to organise Tennis Competitions tagged Kogi State Governor’s Tennis Championship during the tenure of Late Audu Abubakar and Alh. Ibrahim Idris and succeeded in leading Kogi State and National teams to national and international competitions in South Africa, USA, Kenya, Ghana among others.
The Speaker further informed the delegation that he is currently working on a bill for the establishment of Kogi Sate Sports Trust Fund, which when signed into law will provide sporting activities in the state enough fund for competitions without solely depending on the State Government. The bill will assist tremendously in the area of talents hunts for our upcoming athletes.
The Speaker further stated that he has perfected arrangements to kick start talents hunt later in the year in his Constituency, Kabba/Bunu, through an all schools athletic competitions and all wards football competition among secondary schools and wards in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area.
The leader of the delegation who also doubles as the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youths and Sports, Dr. (Mrs) Esther Owotunse stated that they were in the Assembly Complex to felicitate with the Speaker who is a known pillar of sports and youth development in the state on his election as the 12th Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly.
She stated that Rt.Hon. Mathew Kolawole’s record in sports development in the state is unrivaled. She further stated that the election of the Speaker as the Chairman of Kogi State Boxing Federation and his subsequent nomination as the North Central representative on the board of Nigerian Boxing Federation will reposition Kogi State sports for more benefits.
In a related development, a combined team of Centre for Women Studies and Intervention, Abuja and Kogi Women Empowerment Coalition paid the Speaker courtesy visit.
The delegation was led by the Programme Manager of Centre for Women Studies and Intervention, Barr. Pascal Idogbe and Hon. Gloria Atebe respectively and after congratulating the Speaker on his emergence, Barr. Pascal Idogbe hinted that investigation has shown that women in Kogi State are being marginalised on political offices saying that only 7% of the current public office holders are women.
He went further to intimate the Speaker on a “bill on gender and equal opportunity and other matters” that was previously passed by the 5th Assembly but was never assented to by the former Governor.
After dropping a copy of the bill to the Speaker for study, he pleaded with the Speaker to look into the bill again for it to gain the Governor’s assent.
The Speaker thanked the delegation for the visit and the presentation of public bill to the House for consideration.
The Speaker said, the 6th Assembly will welcome bills and motions from the public as this will go a long way in helping the House of Assembly for better representation. He therefore urged them to re-present the bill to the House for immediate attention.
Meanwhile, Owe Unique Ladies Association and Forum of Owe Civil Servants both based in Lokoja were on hand to felicitate with and congratulate the Speaker on his emergence, praying that God shall grant him the wisdom, knowledge and understanding to pilot the affairs of his new office.
According to the leaders of the two groups, Mrs Grace Aliyu and Dr. Mrs Y.E Owotunshe respectively, they said they find it expedient to pay him the courtesy visit to pray for him being the first representative from Kabba community to attain such political feat since Nigeria got her independence in 1960.
Dr. Mrs Owotunshe urged the speaker not to forget the people of the community when there is opportunity for employment and placement within the Kogi State Civil Service, stressing that Owe people in the service are already ageing, hence there is need to inject fresh blood from the area.
They pledged to cooperate and support the Speaker and the current administration in the state in order to fast track the overall development of the state.
Responding, the Honourable Speaker thanked and appreciated the groups for their love in rejoicing with him, pointed out that he owed all his appreciations to God and his colleagues who deem it fit to elect him to lead the Assembly at this time.
He urged the people to continue to pray for his success and that of the current administration in the state led by Alhaji Yahaya Bello, noting that all hands must be on deck in order to develop the state.
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