By Rt. Hon. Karounwi Oladapo
KAROUNWI OLADAPO, THE DEPUTY SPEAKER AND AKINBOWALE OMOLE, THE MAJORITY LEADER of the FIRST ASSEMBLY, exchanging view and ideas on making legislation for the good governance of Ekiti State in the house of assembly chamber, in 1999.we were both about 33 years old at the time.
A fond memory of how we think before we stand up to talk on the floor of the house,with members of the public filling up the available space at the public gallery.We compete,not on materials acquisition, but on our intellectual make up, before the media and public audience.We read and researched robustly before the plenary.
We had a very peaceful and stable assembly that was the envy of all.WE COMPLETE OUR FOUR YEARS TENURE,DEVOID OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CRISES. That was the fact of history!
The pioneer speaker KOLA ADEFEMI,Deputy speaker KAROUNWI OLADAPO,majority leader AKINBOWALE OMOLE and clerk M. OLU EKUNDAYO provided the leadership and set a good foundation for the first Ekiti Assembly.
Pioneering effort are very sacrificial,with a monthly salary of #11000(eleven thousand naira) for the first 2 years! We earned less than the state permanent secretary at the time.
NOTHING LIKE CONSTITUENCY ALLOWANCE DURING OUR TIME,BECAUSE,EKITI GOVERNMENT UNDER OTUNBA NIYI ADEBAYO COULDN’T AFFORD IT!
NOTHING LIKE OFFICIAL CAR FOR THE LEGISLATORS.NOT A SINGLE VEHICLE FOR COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS!however, with Ekiti state government as surety,each honourable member got a car loan of #500,000 (five hundred thousand naira) from owena bank( as it was then called)which majority of us used to buy fairly used mercedes benze. I used my own to buy 6 plot of land behind Fayose’s plot,which he later used to build his spotless hotel at Ado.Hence,Fayose and i became neighbours and friends long before he became Governor in 2003.
NO OFFICIAL ACCOMMODATION FOR HONOURABLE MEMBERS. Hon member stayed inside their cars or under the trees, infront of the assembly,before the hour of plenary sitting in the hallow chamber.
NO COMMITTEE ROOMS.NO CONFERENCE NOR PERLIAMENTARY ROOMS. We used the hallow chamber for committee and perliamentary activities. The few available offices were occupied by the clerk and senior staff of the assembly,which were lunped together with several tables and chairs in every rooms.
For the 4 years, Ekiti State Government DIDN’T SEND HONOURABLE MEMBER ON OVERSEA TRAINING OR CONFERENCE.those of us who made overseas trip did so with our private saving.
Despite all these limitation and challenges, we put up our very best in the service of Ekiti people,because, we were conscious of OUR PUBLIC IMAGE,REPUTATION, HISTORY,TOMORROW AND POSTERITY!
ASIWAJU KAROUNWI THOMAS OLADAPO (KASTO).
Sunday 10th april, 2016