18th June, 2022
By Richard Elesho
In a classic case of a predator falling prey to another beast, news broke on Friday evening that Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Prince Matthew Kolawole, was impeached by his colleagues.
This came barely hours after Kolawole supervised the removal of four principal officers of the assembly earlier in the day.
Kolawole’s impeachment was hinged on allegations of gross misconduct and money laundering to the tune of millions of Naira. The document of his impeachment was dated 13 June 2022, a public holiday.
The speaker’s impeachment was undersigned by 19 out of 25 lawmakers.
According to them, Kolawole’s alleged corrupt antecedents had led to the non-payment of members’ constitutional entitlements, gross corruption and diversion of funds meant for the Assembly since 2019.
They also said the Speaker obtained a personal loan running into hundreds of millions, using the Kogi State House of Assembly account to the detriment of other members.
The aggrieved lawmakers alleged that Kolawole diminished the integrity of fellow elected members by serially recording meetings and confidential conversations of members which he used as a tool to blackmail members before Governor Yahaya Bello.
The lawmakers had earlier on Friday impeached the House Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ahmed Mohammed.
Mohammed was impeached while three other principal officers accused of gross misconduct and arbitrary use of office were suspended.
Observers posit that the gale of removals in the House may not be unconnected with the aftermath of the recent All Progressives Congress, APC Presidential primary.
Below is the statement by the lawmakers and their signatures:
