The Honourable Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Mathew Kolawole has on behalf of the sixth assembly promised to support the development of the sports 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.
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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 unrivalled. 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.
