*Being the presentation of Rt. Hon. M.O. Kolawole; Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly and Member Representing Kabba/Bunu Constituency at the 2ND Town Hall Meeting on Friday 29th December, 2017 at St Augustine’s College Hall, Kabba*


Protocols,

With gratitude to Almighty God, I warmly welcome you to another edition of Constituency briefing also called town hall meeting. The mandate you, the good people of Kabba/Bunu Constituency gave me comes with a lot of responsibilities; as regards giving quality representation and attracting dividends of democracy.

I come before you today to present my report on my various activities in lawmaking and other ways I have been able with God's guidance and your support to deliver on the various electoral promises I made to you while seeking for office.

It is therefore imperative to give an account of the ‘journey so far’
From an intriguing primary to a sapping main election and an exasperating litigation that challenged with intent to upturn the mandate, you gave to me, it was a path filled with hurdles.
After my inauguration on the 4th of June, 2015; I emerged the Majority Leader of the State House of Assembly even as a first timer.

This position I retained for two years and two months despite the crisis that engulfed the Assembly which lasted for almost one year until I was elected the 12th Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly on 3rd August, 2017.

Making laws for good governance is the primary duty of any legislator and on this; a lot has been achieved during the period under review. Impacting positively on the lives of people has always been my desire and it has been my guiding principle and the motivation of my aspiration.
ACHIEVEMENTS.

On resumption, I swung to action and facilitated the construction of 2 block classroom in Igori-Bunu Primary School, Odo-Appe Ward; Gbeleko Primary School, Egbeda Ward and Idoyi Primary School, Iluke Ward with the last two already completed and the first in advance stage of completion.
As part of Constituency Projects in 2015/2016, I embarked on drilling of seven (7) boreholes in Aiyeteju, Aiyeteju/Kajola, Okekoko in Okekoko Ward, Okedayo in Okedayo Ward and Iduge in Egbeda Ward in Kabba District while Aiyegunle-Igun in Okebukun Ward, and Aiyede in Olle-Okeofin Ward in Bunu District benefitted. Due to the topography of Kiri axis of Bunu land, drilling of new boreholes is very difficult with inability of the equipments to access locations. I therefore embarked on the rehabilitation of existing boreholes that have been in various stages of disrepair and have not been functional in a long time in the two wards in Kiriland. As at today, the borehole in Ofere is now providing potable water for the community while others will be functional any time from now.
Aside water projects, I realized the need for concerted efforts to reposition the economic status of the people and launched N500, 000 Empowerment Scheme with 50 market women as beneficiaries wherein each beneficiary received N10, 000 to boost their businesses. It is pertinent to note that beneficiaries were drawn from all the 15 wards in Kabba/Bunu Constituency.

On scholarship in 2016/17, I spent about N3 million to purchase WAEC and JAMB forms for students across the constituency. In a bid to reposition secondary education in Kabba/Bunu Constituency, I organized and sponsored Inter-Secondary Schools Quiz Competition for the secondary schools in our Constituency. This program lasted for three months and gulped about N5 million and showcased the intellectual ability of the students with Community High School, Okeofin-Bunu emerging winner followed by St. Mary's Secondary School, Ayede-Bunu and Wise Virgin Secondary School, Kabba coming third.

To assist indigent students, I donated the sum of N500, 000 (five hundred thousand naira only) to Kabba Development Union (KDU), Education Endowment Fund and another sum of N500,000 (five hundred thousand naira only) to support the Education Endowment Program of Bunu Development Association (BDA).

On 1st July, 2017 I undertook a multimillion Naira empowerment program with over 320 people across the fifteen wards benefiting. Items distributed include; sewing machines, grinding machines, hair dryers, farm tools, artisan tools, generator sets, microwave ovens, deep freezers, laptops, hair clippers and plastic chairs.

In August, 2017 I paid an unscheduled visit to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja where I paid the medical bills of patients from Kabba/ Bunu Constituency and others who could not offset their bills.

Moved by the plight of widows and market women, I reached out to this vulnerable but vital group in October, 2017 by assisting and empowering them with grants to boost their small scale businesses.

During this program, I gave the sum of N500, 000 (five hundred thousand naira) to Kabba Central Market Women Association to support their Cooperative and Thrift Society while two other women groups got N250, 000 (two hundred and fifty thousand Naira) each and 45 (forty-five) other businesswomen; three each from the fifteen wards of the Constituency received N10, 000 each to support their ventures.

This is aside over 120 widows that were given various food items like rice, semovita, vegetable oil, clothing materials and cash.

Bunu Market Women Association also received a grant of N600, 000 (six hundred thousand naira only) to aid the businesses of their members in the axis of the constituency.

Other financial interventions I have made include the following;

1. N300, 000 (three hundred thousand naira) as deposit to complete the Primary Health Care Centre, Osomule-Bunu.

2. N500, 000 (five hundred thousand Naira to Kabba Day Celebration Committee.

3. N100, 000 to Bunu Students Association.

4. N100, 000 as support for Obangogo 2017 celebration.

5. Production of Bunu Students Association magazine at the cost of N400, 000.

6. N500,000 to Oluku Club, Kabba to support their education endowment fund Donations to Churches are as follows;

1. In 2016, I made donations of cash and musical equipments to several churches worth over N5 million.

2. St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Aiyetoro-Egunbe, Kabba; N100,000.00.

3. St Immanuel Anglican Church, Kabba; N100,000.00

4. St Andrews Anglican Church, Egbeda; N100,000.00.

5. St Peters Anglican Church, Edumo; N100,000.00

6. St. Barnabas Church, Aiyedun-Egunbe; N50,000.00

7.St. Bartholomew Church, Odo-Ape; N100,000.00.

8. Christ Apostolic Church, Olle; N50,000.00

9. Christ Apostolic Church, Okeofin, N100,000.00

10. Painting of St Barnabas Anglican Church, Aiyetoro-Egunbe; N160,000.00

11. Christ Apostolic Church, Aiyeteju; N300,000.00

12. Christ Apostolic Church, Iyah; N50,000.00.

13. St. Clement Church, Iyah; N100,000.00.

14. Christ Apostolic Church, Gbeleko; N100,000

15. 1st ECWA, Kabba; N100,000.00.

16. 2nd ECWA, Kabba; N100,000

17. Purchase of choir gown to 1st ECWA Women Choir

18. Sponsored Kabba/Bunu Interdenominational Crusade of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to the tune of N3.5 million.

Arrangements have been concluded for the take-off of Rt. Hon. (Prince) Matthew Kolawole Skills Acquisition Program where 100 youths from across the fifteen wards in Kabba/Bunu will benefit.

In the core area of legislation, I moved for the upgrading and renaming of the Zonal Hospital, Kabba and this motion got the attention of the State Government and the government not only effected the name change, it also established a Paediatric Section and the project is ongoing.

My motion on the rehabilitation of Kabba township roads forced the contractor to return to site after a long while.

I moved another motion for the provision of adequate staff for Kogi State College of Education (Technical), Kabba jointly sponsored by Hon. Victor Omofaiye.

I sponsored the motion on the upsurge of kidnapping that led to the establishment of the Joint Task Force by the State Government that has considerably reduced this menace.
I equally sponsored a private member bill onKogi State Sports Trust Fund which is has gone through second reading in the House.
I co-sponsored another private member bill on grazing.
The house is deliberating on various bills particularly that on Kogi state University which seeks to rename and decentralize the institution

I also sponsored the Road Traffic bill which has undergone public hearing waiting to be passed to law anytime from now.

Currently, 7 (seven) other bills have gone through public hearing awaiting passage to laws.

With the support and cooperation of my colleagues, several motions have been raised and resolutions passed. The Executive have also collaborated with the Assembly on various issues and the positive impact on the people cannot be over emphasized.

The journey so far is a manifestation of quality representation which is a clear departure from what we had in the past.

With your prayers and support, we have surmounted a lot of challenges and moving forward, things will surely get better. While it is not in doubt that a lot still need be done in a tricky situation of resources that are not only limited but dwindling.

I solemnly pledge to rededicate myself and do all within my power to attract more dividends of democracy that will improve the lives of the good people of this great Constituency.

Within the period under review, major political decisions were taken after due and diligent consultations with our elders and leaders all in a bid to position our Constituency in the mainstream of politics and governance in the State and glory be to God, the benefits are coming in. It can only get better!

I implore you all to continue praying for the present administration under the leadership of His Excellency, Alh. Yahaya Bello for divine guidance and protection to succeed in the bid to take Kogi State to greater level.

I thank you all for honoring me with your presence today. I pray that our collective hopes and aspirations become reality for the benefit of all.

God bless Kabba-Bunu State Constituency!
God bless Kogi State!!
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!