Author: Optimal Times

Vows to preserve democracy, appeases Nigerians over economic hardship President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, hailed the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election, Chief Moshood Abiola and other heroes of democracy, including General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Pa Alfred Rewane, among others. In his Democracy Day broadcast, the President also celebrated other heroes including Chief Anthony Enahoro, Chief Abraham Adesanya, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Chief Arthur Nwankwo, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Chief Frank Kokori, and Chief Bola Ige, and other eminent Nigerians who made great sacrifices for the restoration of democracy in the country. The President urged…

The first cycle of the three-cycle project in the Aquaculture scheme of the 2023 British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) Agricultural Entrepreneurship grant has been brought to a close. The slots for Aquaculture went to Ms Christianah Olufemi and Ms Sarah  Ogboye, who are both graduates of the University of Ibadan. The two awardees were effectively mobilised in February 2024 to begin the preliminary works making use of the existing ponds at the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management in the University. They stocked the ponds with juveniles in March 2024 and nurtured the stock for 11 weeks. The harvest from…

The Deputy Vice Chancellor [Academic] at the University of Ibadan, Prof. Aderonke  Baiyeroju has charged alumni of the university   to keep in touch with their classmates to prolong their lives.  Baiyeroju stated that keeping in touch with each other encourages the sharing of memories and engenders a spirit of camaraderie. The professor made the statements while receiving on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor,  Kayode Adebowale, a group of members of the UI MBBS Class of 1974. Baiyeroju commended members of  the MBBS Class of 1974 for coming back to their Alma Mater and for the  celebration of 50 years after…

Prof. Helen Labeodan, Chairperson of the Anti-cultism Campaign Committee of the University of Ibadan Centre for Social Orientation (CenSo), has urged students of the International School, Ibadan (ISI) to speak up whenever they are harassed, intimidated, or bullied by their seniors, classmates, or any individual. Labeodan gave the charge while addressing the students during an Anti-cultism campaign visit to the school The professor  emphasised that harassment, intimidation, and bullying typically have  detrimental effects on the victim’s psyche. She, however, added that perpetrators may face consequences later in life because “everything that goes around comes around.” She cautioned the students to…

…Launches agency for mobilisation, appoints Morounkola Thomas as DG ..Jerry Gana lauds gov’s strides    Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, on Tuesday, lamented that there is hunger in the land, stressing that the issues of local government autonomy , the return to the old National Anthem  and other non-essential issues should not be the priority of the country but how to make the country more productive  to engender economic development . Makinde stated this  during the signing into law and  the opening ceremony of the operational office of the Oyo State Mobilisation Agency for Socio-economic Development [OYMASED] at…

“This article analyzes the prospect of democracy in Africa and contends that the failure of democracy in Africa is associated with its colonial history. The paper used Nigeria as Africa’s case-in-point and queried why democracy is working in Singapore, despite also being an excolony.” There are two major assumptions about democracy. Power is legitimate when it emanates from the people. Second, democracy is centered on the principle of individualism. However, the two key features of the African state are in sharp and irreconcilable contrast to these two democratic pillars. Nigeria is a thickly divided state with hundreds of seemingly irreconcilable…

Though, the beating of the drums actually stopped late evening of Thursday, 14th March this year and in observing the Islamic injunction professed by the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Dr. Sen. Mohood Olalekan Ishola Balogun CFR, Alli Okunmade II, his remains were interred the following day at his ancestral Aliiwo family compound. But, following the tradition of elaborate celebration of the demise of such a personality, all could not have been said to be over until last Saturday, 8th June, 2024. It was the day set aside by the government of the state under the leadership…

….Elevates twelve chiefs to lesser Oba status Oyo State Governor,  Seyi Makinde, on Monday, assured the indigenes of Oyo Town that he does not have any anointed candidate for the position of Alaafin of Oyo to fill the vacant stool left by the late Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, and that soon a candidate will emerge. Makinde made the pledge through the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Olusegun Olayiwola, while presenting the Part II Recognized Chieftaincy certificates to twelve Baales, who are now lesser Obas for their different domains. The event took place at the Oba Adeyemi Mini…

The University of Ibadan has set up a 48-man Proposal Writing Committee. This was in response to the Call for Applications for Round 3 of the 100&Change MacArthur Foundation Grant Application 2024. The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode  Adebowale is the  Convener and Chairman of the Committee. Inaugurating  the Committee, Adebowale stressed the need to sustain the gains of  the  University from the MacArthur Foundation grants. He said the University had reexamined its failed 2016 Proposal with a view to addressing its shortcomings. The Vice-Chancellor said the University intends to collaborate with other MacArthur Grants beneficiary universities as well as such…

 The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) Plc proudly heralds the successful establishment and operation of its Transformer Maintenance Workshop, inaugurated in March 2023.  This initiative stands as a beacon, addressing the myriad complaints surrounding faulty transformers that have plunged numerous customers into darkness and adversely affected livelihoods. In a statement by the Acting Managing Director of the Company, Engr. Francis Agoha, the workshop, nestled in Eleyele, Ibadan, stands as a testament to the ingenuity of local talents and the effective utilization of indigenous resources to mitigate supply downtime, which has severely impacted businesses and communities alike. Moreover, the repair work’s…