Ekiti 2022: The Man Hon. Bisi Kolawole

Hon. Bisi Kolawole was born in Ile-Ife on 20th September, 1956 to an Efon-Alaaye parentage of Chief Ezekiel Kolawole of the Meyolanu Dynasty. His mother, a woman of impeccable beauty, Mrs Alice Mojirola Kolawole was a native of Modakeke, whom Daddy married in the course of his business sojourn at Ile-Ife.

As Bisi was growing up at Ile-Ife with the other children, the lot fell on the father to assume the position of High Chief Obaloja, which was the third in leadership hierarchy of Efon-Alaaye to the Oba. So in 1961, the Kolawole family moved from its town of residence, Ile-Ife to Efon-Alaaye to enable Daddy take up the onerous task of chieftaincy leadership.

EDUCATION
In 1963, Hon. Bisi Kolawole enrolled at St. John’s Anglican Primary School, Efon-Alaaye where he successfully passed out in 1969 with the Primary Six Leaving Certificate. In 1970, he was admitted to Doherty Memorial Grammar School, Ijero-Ekiti. He passed out with the West African School Certificate in 1974. Thereafter, he went to Ahmadiya, College, Agege, Lagos for his Higher School Certificate (HSC).

In the course of association and interaction with friends on probable future career opportunities, he decided to seek a manifestation of a hitherto latent talent he had for works of art. He opted to go to the famous Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, where he earned the Higher National Diploma(HND) in Graphics Design, Art and Printing in 1981. The thirst for further education and quest for knowledge propelled him to the University of Ado-Ekiti now Ekiti State University where at different times, he earned Post Graduate Diploma and Master’s Degree in Public Administration. He later enrolled for the LLB in the Open University, Abuja, which for now he has put on hold because of time constraints.

Hon. Bisi Kolawole did the mandatory national service at the NYSC Headquarters between 1981 and 1982. He immediately after the NYSC service secured an employment with NICHEMTEX Industries, Ikorodu, Lagos in 1982. He voluntarily disengaged in 1992 as a Production Manager to seek further opportunities. He thereafter registered his own private company which engaged essentially in printing and merchandising.

POLITICS
Hon. Bisi Kolawole was born into politics. His father, High Chief Ezekiel Kolawole even when resident at Ile-Ife, at a point, became a Councillor from Efon-Alaaye under the then Ekiti West Divisional Council in the 1950s under the Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Action Group( A.G). Besides, Bisi grew up in the Obaloja palace of his father and saw how justice was dispensed whenever cases were brought up for adjudication. He was undoubtedly exposed to the interplay of politics and this must have caught his attention and aroused his interest.

He was actively involved in Students Union politics at the Yaba College of Technology. He has always been an advocate of social justice fighting for interest of the oppressed.

The defining moment in his incursion into partisan politics came in the return to civil rule in 1999. He was persuaded to move to Efon Alaaye from Lagos. He soon became a Supervisor in the Efon-Alaaye Local Government.

A golden fish has no hiding place hence his exemplary performance and unique capacity for social engineering made Efon Alaaye people to elect him under the PDP platform to the Ekiti House of Assembly in 2007. He was Chairman of the House Committee on Works. He was a truly distinguished and positively noticeable honourable member of the House of Assembly. He was a significant stabilising force in the Assembly and indeed, the State during the 13 PDP and 13 AC (later ACN) membership of the House.

Hon. Kolawole in 2013 was appointed by the Federal Government as a member of the Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State.

In October 2014, Governor Ayodele Fayose appointed him to his Administration as a Special Adviser on Environment and he was later in July 2015 made Commissioner for Environment. He held the position till the end of the tenure of the Fayose administration in October 2018.

He contested the 2019 Federal Elections to represent his constituency in the House of Representatives. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP and currently the elected Chairman of the PDP in Ekiti State.

One can say without being immodest that Hon. Kolawole who is aspiring to the Governorship of Ekiti State in 2022, is indeed a bank of experience in politics. He has served at the Local government, State government and Federal government levels. He has served in both executive and legislative arms of government. He has also been privileged to understudy and understand the workings of political party system. Besides, Hon. Bisi Kolawole has since 1999 had the unique and uncommon opportunity of working with all Ekiti State Governors namely, His Excellency, Governor Niyi Adebayo, His Excellency, Governor Ayodele Fayose, His Excellency, Governor Segun Oni and His Excellency, Governor Kayode Fayemi. He is deeply grateful to the governors for the honour of association or interaction. He appreciates infinitely Governor Ayodele Fayose for always believing, supporting and stimulating his aspiration.

Hon. Bisi Kolawole is a politician of unassailable character and impeccable sense of sociability, hence he effortlessly relates with all people and accords them due respect. Hon. Kolawole is urbane, civil, suave, sartorial, jovial, cordial, bold, courageous, disarming, hardworking, intellectually resourceful and impressively full of new ideas. He is fully prepared to serve Ekiti State and raise her banner.

He is married to a very amiable and strong believer in God, Deaconess Adeola Kehinde Kolawole nee Fajilade from Ikere-Ekiti. The marriage is richly blessed with grown- up children, who are making impacts in Nigeria and abroad.