Delivering democratic dividends to Akoko

When we talk of legislative responsibilities and representative returns, many are the men who would quickly conclude that worthy representative are virtually nonexistent. However, here is a different case. The case of Babatunde Gabriel Kolawole, a distinguished indigene of Ondo State and member of the Federal House of Representative, representing Akoko South West/Akoko South East Federal Constituency.

Prior to becoming a member of the House of Representative, he was a Senior Planning Officer, National Agency For Science And Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Abuja. In the 2015 elections, he contested for the Federal House of Representative under the platform of the All Progressive Congress(APC) and won to represent Akoko South West/Akoko South East Federal Constituency. In line with this, he targets to ensure quality representation by bringing the presence of Government very close to his constituency.

In less than 24 months into the 48 months tenure of the current National Assembly members, Babatunde, by all available indices, has beaten all available records in Ondo State as the best ever serving Reps member. Records available have shown that out of the nine National Assembly lawmakers in Ondo State, Kolawole, otherwise popularly known as Amaechi, who is a member of the 8th NASS, is the only one with the most outstanding achievement in his two years-mid-term reports.

Top most of his achievements are his advocacy, qualitative representation, delivery on his constituency projects, youth empowerment and security of lives and properties. Hon.Kolawole’s tenure as a as a member House of Representative has changed the face of parliamentary representation with the torrent of his advocacy, projects and services to his constituency.

Physical projects handled by him include the rehabilitation of Owo-Oba Ayegunle- Akungba Road (On-going)Isua- Epinmi- Simerin- UbaUgbe Road (ongoing)Building of 30 Market stalls at Ifira AkokoBuilding of 22 Market Stalls at Ifira Akoko, construction of linkage bridge at Oroke High School, Akungba,22 solar street light at Wolemiwa Street to Orita Akungba and AAUA Campus Gate, skills acquisition centre/ Garri processing factory at Sosan Akoko (ongoing), rehabilitation of 15 boreholes across the constituency, and fencing of Road Safety Office at Oke-Oka.

For Babatunde, it’s only midway to the journey but there is no time to waste because he believes the people gave a mandate so that he can give them adequate representation, which is why he’s been going extra length to deliver even beyond his electioneering promises. Representation must not be about noise asking but about given statistical data, figures of compendium of service delivered as promised by Hon Amechi then. Kolawole promised he will not take the good people of Akoko South West and Akoko South East Federal Constituency for granted, and that he will continue to be accountable, prudent, transparent, responsive and responsible to all their needs without discrimination and not to ever betray the sanctity of their trust in Him.

He believes too that it is sacrosanct to stand by the bond as he swore to forever continue to adequately represent their genuine interest. He has come to understand that the task ahead in the next two years as a political officeholder is beyond partisan affairs but that of providing effective and purposeful leadership and qualitative representation so that political empowerment can compliments socio-economic empowerment.

Testimonies abound about the commitment of Hon.Amechi while parleying with the grassroots publishers to showcase the credible excellent midterm performance of Hon. Babatunde.

Many constituents gave reasons to why the people of Akokoland have been calling Hon. Babatude the ‘Peoples Honourable’ of our time because he has delivered more democratic dividends to the citizens of AKSW/E Fed. Const. than the others”. Amechi has not been satisfied with the huge success so far recorded after his name with his lives changes constituency projects that littered the entire constituency.

Even within the space of the short period remaining and with the limited resources available to the members of the house of reps as a result of the shrinking national income caused by economic recession, Kolawole is still determined to deliver more dividends.

Femi Salako wrote from Akure