UNBEATABLE FOOT PRINTS OF RT. HON. MATTHEW OLUSHOLA KOLAWOLE IN BUNU DISTRICT

He Rt. Hon.(Prince) Mathew Kolawole against all odds; he contested and won the Kogi State House of Assembly in two consecutive times, for the first time in the history of Kabba-Bunu State Constituency in a landslide victory. If his grass to grace journey is better imagined than experienced, his political odyssey is a rare happenstance in our political firmament. 

It is unthinkable for a Legislator to navigate his way to the Principal Officer status as a first timer, but alas, like the Darman miracle, the people’s Prince was the Majority Leader for barely two years, and two months without any scandal and before you could say Jack Robinson, he was unanimously elected as the Speaker by majority of his distinguished colleagues. This is destiny at work and the whole metamorphosis could only be divine! So, with his emergence as the custodian of the gavel on August 3rd, 2017, the eponymous leader with requisite capacity has shown that the rare privilege he is enjoying today is an avenue to serve God and Humanity. That the Captain of Empowerment in Kogi West is not vain has become a virtue of public consumption.

 He is neither sentimental nor off the path in terms of social connect, rather, he is offering his widow’s mite to his Constituents whose mandate he is holding in trust. 

With no iota of doubt, he has really demonstrated that charity to the downtrodden, service to the electorate who voted en masse for him and philanthropic gestures to the society at large are germane ingredients of good and purposeful leadership. 

Immediately he resumed duty in 2105, he swung into action by constructing 2 blocks of classrooms in Igori–Bunu Primary School, Odo-Appe Ward and Idoyi Primary School in Iluke Ward.  All the projects have since been completed.

 As part of his constituency projects in 2015 – 2020, he has delivered more than 10 boreholes across the six wards in Bunu district of his constituency aside rehabilitating all moribund boreholes in the two wards in Kiriland and made them functional in 2018. In total, 18 existing boreholes were rehabilitated in Kiriland apart from the one in Ofere community.

 Aside water projects, the Speaker realizing that there is need for concerted efforts to reposition the economic status of the people, launched a N500, 000 Empowerment Scheme in which over 50 market women benefited from with each beneficiary getting the sum of N10, 000 to start up small scale businesses that will boost their economic profile in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2021 edition will come up before the close of the year. 

Aside other supports given to groups and associations. As part of his efforts to reposition secondary school education in the constituency, he organized and sponsored an Inter-Secondary School Quiz Competition among the secondary schools in Bunu, a program that showcased the knowledge of the students wherein Community High School, Okeofin – Bunu emerged the overall winner followed by St Mary Secondary School, Ayede–Bunu came third in 2017. While in 2018, he included the inter Secondary School Debate Competition to revive that aspect of education for the students to interact and also test their ability in what they have learnt wherein Community High School, Okeoffin emerged winner 

All winners in both competitions were awarded a one-year scholarship with mouth watery gifts for both the students and their schools. 

Being a lawmaker that loves education, he went the extra mile to support Bunu Development Association (BDA) Education Endowment Fund with N500, 000, this he did to support indigent students in the districts. These are aside his regular education support programs which run on a yearly basis, scholarship scheme, distribution of writing materials, school bags to Bunu student’s etc.

 On 1st July, 2017 the Honourable Speaker staged a laudable multimillion naira empowerment program in which over 320 persons across the fifteen Wards in Kabba/Bunu State Constituency including non-indigenes benefited from. The empowerment items distributed include Sewing machine, grinding machine, hair dryers, farm tools, mechanic tools, other artisan’s tools, generator sets, microwave oven, deep freezers, laptops and plastic Chairs. All my Bunu brothers from the six wards benefited

While in October, 2017 the peace loving and amiable representative who have passion for the widows and Market Men and Women decided to reach out to them by empowering them with capital to boost and strengthen their small scale businesses. He gave N800, 000 to Bunu Market Women Association to support their Cooperative and Thrift Society while two other women groups got #250, 000 each with 30 other business women, two each from the fifteen wards across Kabba/Bunu State constituency receiving N10, 000 each to support their businesses. 

This is aside over 120 widows that were given different items of food stuff with cash to support them. The food items given include, Semovita, Rice, Garri, groundnut oil, clothing materials etc.

 He regularly paid unscheduled visits to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja and other medical institutions within the state to pay medical bills of some patients from his constituency and other people who could not offset their bills…Don’t ask me for the names cos i am not authorized to mention names. 

 Understanding that everyone cannot go to school, he partnered with the Nigeria Directorate of Employment (NDE) to train over 40 Bunu youths in different skills of their choices in 2018/19 session and at the end, each of them all was empowered with the equipments and tools of such skills they have acquired for them to start up and earn their livelihoods.

 Currently over 70 Bunu youths are undergoing similar training in Kabba Development Union Skill Acquisition Centre in Kabba. 

In 2017/ 15 Bunu youths enjoyed monthly stipends as salary to ameliorate their suffering for more than two years apart from the aides attached to his office; 

More than 5 Bunu people have also gone on pilgrimage to the Holy lands of Jerusalem and Saudi Arabia through his efforts.

 In 2018, he donated the sum of N3.5m to ensure the completion of Ayede – Olle community electrification project which has made it possible for the various communities along the axis to access electricity for the first time.

He Kolawole installed solar street lights in  communities in the Bunu and the second phase of the community will soon be installed 

 In 2019, he single handedly as part of his constituency projects sponsored  the grading and opening up of the Aiyede – Appe – Igori – Ighun road and Aiyede –  Eshi road, a project that cost close to ten million naira. 

While in the area of health, the Speaker moved motion on the floor of the house to upgrade the Health Centre in Ike – Bunu to Cottage Hospital, a motion that received the attention of the executive, and the health care centre has since be upgraded 

Aside the fact that he took an initiative to construct cottage hospitals in Ayede – Bunu, as his personal projects. The two projects are ongoing and at an advanced stage 

He Kolawole rehabilitated the Osomule health centre.

He donated towards the completion of Oke-offin, Iluke town hall and also donated towards the farm road in Idoyi to opened up roads for their farm products. 

Churches and mosque are not left behind as 90% of churches in Bunu land got his church and mosque donations, do not forget to confirm his donation to the Christian association of Nigeria (CAN) BUNU CHAPTER

Traditional rulers are not left unattended to as no of our rulers got a car to ease their movement. 

The Bunu student’s union     call for a Sharan Bus became a reality through Kolawole, he also donated cash through BDA for scholarships and gave #10,000 fund to all Bunu students, over 90 Students benefited in 2019.

I won’t skip the production of the Ray magazines in no of years ago 

His regular JAMB, NECO, WAEC free registration is still unbeatable in no and in consistency.

The list is endless and unarguably unbeatable.

He is indeed a captain of all captains of empowerment.

Barinkin Chris

Iholo-Ayetoro kiri

Bunu.