Prince Mathew Kolawole was Thursday re-elected the 13th speaker of Kogi state House of Assembly.
Kolawole’s re-election was through affirmation by 25 lawmakers of the house following nomination from the member representing Ajaokuta I, Bello Abdullahi Balogun and seconded by Alfa Mohomoh Rabiu, member representing Ankpa II.
His re-election marked the beginning of the 7th legislative assembly of Kogi state.
Similarly, Ahmed Mohammed (Ankpa I) was elected as the deputy speaker, while Bello Abdullahi Balogun (Ajaokuta) retains his position as the majority leader.
Ndakwo Idris of (Lokoja II) was elected deputy majority leader, Muktar Bajeh (Okehi) chief whip and Ododo Moses of Dekina Biraidu was elected as deputy chief whip.
All the members of the seventh assembly were elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The house does not have any female member, a development that may have indicated that the long agitation for women affirmation in elective positions was completely jettisoned.
In his acceptance speech, the speaker, Mathew Kolawole thanked the state governor for his unalloyed support towards the progress of the assembly.
He vowed not to let his colleagues down just as he appealed to his colleagues to extend hands of fellowship towards the success of the seventh assembly especially in the area of passing bills that will have positive impact on the people.
Earlier in his inaugural speech, the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello while relying on section 105 subsection3 of the 1999 constitution as amended to issue a proclamation for the first legislative sitting of the house, assured the people that the current lawmakers will not betray the trust of the people.
“We are not unaware that the people voted overwhelmingly and convincingly for APC and it behooves on the lawmakers to reciprocate the gesture by providing good governance for the people as my administration remains committed to realizing a better Kogi state”, he said
He urged all the members not to forget their electorate and constituency saying “the sixth Assembly was wonderful and all Kogites are expecting a better seventh Assembly”.
Governor Bello called for the establishment of constituency offices by elected members at all levels in a bid to bring dividend of democracy to the grassroots.
