HON. ADEDAMOLA RICHARD KASUNMU BAGS PRESTIGE EXCELLENCE AWARD 2023 | Prestige News

HON ADEDAMOLA RICHARD KASUNMU: ICON OF EXEMPLARY REPRESENTATION AND LEGISLATIVE EXCELLENCE

Icon of exemplary representation and legislative Excellence, Honourable Adedamola Richard Kasunmu emerged the MOST RESOURCEFUL, INNOVATIVE AND CONSTITUENCY FRIENDLY LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR at the 7th Prestige Excellence Award and Lecture 2023.

The prestigious event was held last Sunday November 12 at The Civic Center, Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Hon. Adedamola Richard Kasunmu, popularly called ARK, is the legislator currently representing Ikeja Constituency 2 at the Lagos State House of Assembly.

According to statement made available to media men by Wale Abiodun, Executive Director, Prestige Excellence Award and Lecture, the glamorous event is instituted to recognize and appreciate deserving individuals, corporate entities and professional institutions that have made remarkable impact in our society.

The Award is the brainchild of Prestige News Online ( www.prestigenewsonline.com ) and Prestige International Magazine, news platforms  dedicated to extolling the virtues of hard work, ingenuity, integrity and uncommon achievement in service to humanity.

The PEAL 2023 edition is tailored to honour and celebrate individuals and organizations who have exemplified those virtues in the course of the year under review.

This award brought together the crème de la crème of the Nigerian society from all walks of life and offered a unique platform for social and corporate networking as well as a fertile ground for corporate and product branding.

Theme of the event is  Governance and sustainable Development in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Solutions for a Developing Economy.

Hon. Adedamola Richard Kasunmu, popularly called ARK, is the legislator currently representing Ikeja Constituency 2 at the Lagos State House of Assembly.

He was educated at the prestigious King’s College and D-Ivy College of Lagos, where he obtained his O/Levels and A/Level Cambridge respectively.

In the year 2001, he left the shores of Nigeria to pursue a University foundation studies course in Law at Irwin College, Leceister in East Midlands.

He then proceeded to University of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, in the United Kingdom where he studied Law.

He later obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration from the Pristine School of Management.

Upon his return to Nigeria in 2007, he was appointed as the Education Administrator-in-training of the famous Modupe Memorial Schools, Magodo, Lagos. This was shortly after the death of his mother, the Late, Chief (Mrs) Abiodun Kasunmu, an astute educationist who founded and nurtured the school.

Being relatively young, vibrant and intelligent, Hon. Kasunmu functioned in this capacity from 2007 to 2013 and performed

exceptionally well by introducing various innovative ideas that led to the exponential growth of the institution. He later became the Education Director of the school.

In recognition of his novel efforts at the time, Hon. Kasunmu was conferred with the award of Best Educator of the Year 2011 by Top Elegance Magazine.

Between 2011 and 2013, he also functioned  as the Business Development, Legal Framework & Strategy Consultant of EXCELPLUS BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, a Lagos based blue-chip company.

In 2014, Hon. Kasunmu veered fully into politics, having participated in the processes from the background as a young political activist between 2007 and 2013 when he founded  and led the Democrats Group of Nigeria and  Revive Active Democracy Coalition of Nigeria (RADCON), the two youth-based political pressure groups he mobilised and coordinated effectively for the 2011 general elections and the gubernatorial elections in   Ondo, Osun, Edo and Ekiti states respectively between 2012 and 2014.

In September 2014, he contested for the ticket of Lagos State House of Assembly to represent Ikeja Constituency 2 on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) and won convincingly.

He later went ahead to win the general elections for the House of Assembly conducted on April 11, 2015 at the age of 32, thus making him the youngest member of the 8th Assembly.

The 8th Parliament of Lagos State House of Assembly lasted from June 2015 to June 2019. During this period, Hon. Kasunmu  served meritoriously as the Chairman, House Committee Youth, Sports and Social Development, among other adhoc services and functions.

As a result of his sterling performances and qualitative representation, he was re-elected to the House of Assembly for a second term in March 2019 and sworn-in as a member of the 9th Assembly on June 7th 2019.

In the 9th Assembly, he served as the Chairman, House Committee on Lands from November 2019 to May 2023

This period saw to his growth as an exemplary politician, astute legislator and respected leader.

He contested again for the same seat in the 2023 general elections and was re-elected for a historic third term on the 18th of March 2023 with a landslide victory; once again making him the first lawmaker to be re-elected for a third term in the history of Ikeja Constituency 2. This feat is attributable to his exemplary performances as a legislator, deft political moves and Divine grace.

Some of his achievements and scorecards since 2015 are listed below.

1. He facilitated the construction of the ultramodern pedestrian bridge and International Bus Park at Berger Bustop, Ojodu LCDA in 2016 under former Governor Ambode.
2. He sponsored a Bill to create the Lagos State Sports Trust Fund in 2017
3. He sponsored a Bill to create the Lagos State Sports Commission in 2017 and also co-sponsored six(6) other bills and motions
4. He facilitated the employment of over 105 Constituents to the Lagos State Civil Service and MDAs, including Lagos State House of Assembly, LAHASCOM, LASTMA, LNSC, LAWMA,  TESCOM, SUBEB, CBD, Fire and Safety Services, Health Services Board, Judiciary, Nigeria Police Force, Cleaner Lagos and several others..
5. He sponsored ARK 5-Aside Football Competition to discover young talents.
6. He has sponsored over 2000 free GCE Registrations for Constituency Students
7. He has sponsored over 3000 Free JAMB registration for Constituency Students
8. Provision of Micro Financial Assistance for over 100 Small Scale Business women and ArtStudent
9. Sponsorship of ARK STATEWIDE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT in 2018.
10. He Facilitated Financial Empowerment for Persons with disabilities in the constituency 2019.

11. Provision of over N25M Covid-19 Response to provide massive food palliatives, direct cash transfer, thousands of high quality hand sanitisers, face masks and public enlightenment during the Covid-19 Lockdown of 2020.
12. He Facilitated the rehabilitation/reconstruction of Aina St, Ojodu LCDA
13. He Facilitated the rehabilitation/reconstruction of Odozi St, Ojodu LCDA
14. He facilitated the rehabilitation/reconstruction of Ogunowo St, Ikeja LGA
15. He facilitated the rehabilitation/reconstruction of Obanta Avenue, Ikeja LGA
16. He facilitated the rehabilitation/reconstruction of Itohan/Olu Akerele st, Ikeja LGA.
17. He facilitated the rehabilitation/reconstruction of Mojidi St, Ikeja LGA
18. He facilitated the rehabilitation/reconstruction of Laide Tomori st, Ikeja LGA
19. He facilitated the rehabilitation/reconstruction of Kasumu Aleshinloye st Ojodu LCDA
20. He facilitated the rehabilitation/reconstruction of Ashafa St, Ojodu LCDA.(2023)

21   Provision of Borehole Water with 2.5KVA power generator at Aina St Ojodu

22. Provision of Borehole Water with 2.5KVA power generator at Anifowose Community, Ikeja
23. Provision of Borehole Water with 2.5KVA power generator at Yakoyo community, Ojodu LCDA
24. Provision of Borehole Water with 2.5KVA power generator at Ipodo community, Ikeja.
25. Sponsorship of 8-Balls Legend Snooker Competition with fantastic prizes for winners
26. Sponsorship of 2 Constituency Youth (Alhaji Abiodun Abass Bismillah) to Mecca and (Mr. Segun Benson JP) to Jerusalem on holy pilgrimage.
27. Sponsorship of constituency Youths for Vocational training in partnership with Ovie Brume Foundation on Victoria Island
28. Sponsorship of two (2) constituency youth abroad for leadership Training in agriculture and human resources (Ebenezer Omitogun – Scotland and Ibrahim Owolabi- USA)
29. He facilitated modern tools for scores of artisans including Vulcaniser, Barbers, Hairdressers, Pop corn makers etc.
30. He facilitated the construction and channelization of Osaye/Adu st drainage systems in Aguda, Ojodu LCDA
31. He facilitated the construction and channelization of Ogba central drainage systems to control the perennial flooding at Area G Police Command axis and Ogba Bustop.
32. He coordinated the amicable resolution of a controversial land issue in Magodo area of Lagos
33. Provision of Ultramodern Snookers Board and kits for Ogba Phase 2 Estate youths March 2023.
34. Provision of state-of-the-art Table Tennis board and kits to Ogba Phase 2 Estate in March 2023.
35. He facilitated university admission for over *100* constituency students to Lagos State University (LASU) as at Aug 2023.
36. He sponsored educational enhancement and hygiene programmes for over 1,000 School Girls across Ikeja Constituency 2 in Partnership with JONNA GUDMONSEN of Denmark Republic and Hammedah Foundation of Nigeria.
37. He sponsored Ten (10) Youth from Ikeja Constituency 2 to Participate in IBILE Youth Academy Leadership Training in 2019 with Miss Yewande Oseni of Ikeja emerging as the State Divisional Ambassador of the year.
38. He sponsored four (5) constituency youths to the Lagos State Youth Parliament between 2016-2022. These include: Dr. Muritala Seriki who was the Speaker then and who later emerged as Lagos State APC Youth Leader. Others are Gabriel  Kenhogbe of Anifowose,  Ibrahim Owolabi of Ogba and  Adedoyin Sunday of Ojodu. Yusuf Akilo of Ikeja is the current ( 2023/2024) representive of Ikeja 2 at the Lagos State Youth Parliament.
39. He fast-tracked state government’s approval of land for the building of Agidingbi community health centre.
40. He purchased various saloon cars for key constituency youth and aides such as Babatunde Folami (Oyere), Kehinde Bakare(Colours), Tokunbo Oyedemi, Yinka Dada, Sola Folowosele, Jumoke Olasoji, Abu Nurudeen and others
41. He was elected Deputy Majority Leader of Lagos State House of Assembly in June 2023.
42. He appointed 10 Special Assistants on various fields on his 3rd Term inauguration day in June 2023.
43. He Sponsored an Open Football Talents Screening in Collaboration with JE9 Sports of Portugal in June 2023 where over 30 Soccer Talents were discovered.
44. He spoke openly against the lopsided list of Commissioner nominees sent to the House of Assembly by Mr. Governor due to the absence of any Ikeja nominee on the list.
45. He facilitated a high voltage Transformer to Akiode community in August 2023.

He clocked 40 on the 29th of March 2023, a birthday he shares with his father, mentor and role model, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Some of his hobbies include cooking, football, mentoring and giving. He is known for his various  humanitarian gestures famously known as Acts of Random Kindness,  coined after his popular acronym A.R.K.

On his birthday in March 2023, Hon. Kasunmu birthed a multipurpose organisation known as ADEDAMOLA RICHARD KASUNMU GLOBAL FOUNDATION, an umbrella body and standard platform for all his humanitarian activities and personal social responsibilities.

Born into the legendary Kasunmu/Mogaji/Tinubu families of Lagos. His Father, Chief Adekunle Olaosebikan Kasunmu, The Amoye-Ilu of Lagos, a title bestowed on him by the Oba Adeyinka Oyekan before the King joined his ancestors in the early nineties, A former CDA Chairman in Ifako Ijaye, a foremost leader and a renowned Civil Engineer of high repute….Hon. Adedamola Adetokunbo Richard Kasunmu is the grandson of the late Alhaja (Dr) Abibatu Mogaji, the iconic Iyaloja General of Nigeria and the mother of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Hon. Kasunmu, (a.k.a ARK) remains a notable advocate of youth inclusion, who is totally committed to the emancipation and empowerment of young Nigerians.

He is happily married with wonderful children.