Author: Optimal Times

The Alalubosa residence of the Olubadan-designate,  Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakulehin has been a beehive of activities with individuals and groups paying homage to the recently nominated 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland. Amongst the individuals who have recently visited the Olubadan Designate include Chief Bode Amao and Chief Bayo Oyero – Former Presidents of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Alhaji Laditi Ladapo – Fmr. Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Former acting Vice-Chancellor of the Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Prof. Adekunle Adeniran and Venerable Olatunde Alamu. Several groups have also recently visited the monarch including members of the Ibadan King…

Residents and road users at the Olodo area of Ibadan on Tuesday were  excited by  the action of the Oyo State government for keeping up to its  promise  to open up a section of the olodo bridge under construction for pedestrians by April 30, 2024. It would be recalled that the bridge was devastated by flood following a torrential rain on July 23, 2023, a situation that has left residents and road users in agonizing experience. Governor Seyi Makinde had during a recent inspection of the bride project,promised to make a section of the bride accessible for pedestrians on April…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited on Monday began offloading 240 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise called petrol, as it stepped up efforts to tackle the worsening nationwide petrol scarcity. As the NNPCL began offloading petrol, filling stations sold the product at an average price of N800 per litre in various locations. It was gathered that the 240 million litres of petrol imported into the country came in through five vessels, which were offloaded into five depots on Monday. The South-West Regional Coordinator of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Ayo Cardoso, confirmed this in an…

The Director-General, Development Agenda for Western Nigeria [DAWN] Commission, Mr. Seye Oyeleye; a Professor of Statistics at the University of Ibadan, Olusanya Olubusoye; the United Kingdom –based engineer,  Georgina Ayoola; another foreign-based business analyst, Prince Afolabi Andu;  Dr. Babajide Adelekan and others, over the weekend, charged Nigeria to embrace the reality of Artificial Intelligence [AI] or be left behind in the global revolutionary trend. They made the call during the Nigerian Millennials Technology Ignited conference for young Nigerians at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Oyo State. The programme, which was free, was attended by thousands of youths, focusing…

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress [APC] in Oyo State, Chief Niyi Akintola, on Monday , said he was not surprised with the outcome of the Saturday’s local government election in Oyo State. The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission [OYSIEC] on Saturday conducted the local government election across the 33 local government areas of the state. The electoral body declared the candidates of the People’s Democratic Party [PDP] as the winners of all chairmanship and councillorship seats. The development has left many mouths waging considering the fact that all the senatorial seats in the state are occupied by the…

Some bank customers have expressed panic as the Central Bank of Nigeria bans mobile money operators, including fintech firms from onboarding new customers. However, the Bank Customers Association of Nigeria backed the CBN directive. The new directive will affect fintech companies such as OPay, Palmpay, Kuda Bank, and Moniepoint, from opening new accounts until further notice. Reliable sources from three major fintechs who requested not to be mentioned as they were not permitted to speak, confirmed the development on Monday. The CBN’s move was linked to an ongoing audit of the Know-Your-Customer process of the fintechs, which have been…

Oyo State College of Nursing and Midwifery has matriculated 130 pioneer students who enrolled through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) into the nursing programme. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetumobi, who welcomed the 130 matriculants, lauded the efforts of Governor Seyi Makinde in enhancing the quality of nursing education in the state which attracted the new intakes. The commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Kehinde Ayinde, stated that the Governor Makinde-led administration prioritised the advancement of nursing education by introducing the award of an academic certificate of National…

A former lawmaker who represented Ife Federal Constituency in the Seventh Assembly, Hon. Rotimi Makinde, has appealed to the Federal Government to develop a policy that would help in subsidising petrol and diesel production at the Dangote Refinery through introduction of tax waiver with the overall goal of making the products sell at lesser and affordable prices to Nigerians. Makinde noted that such cushioning economic policy in the petroleum downstream value chain will make Dangote and other oil marketers ease the tension and volatility of petroleum products in the country. He maintained that the impact would  directly yield…

The Ayilara Descendants Family, Ogbomoso, Oyo State has disowned the Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland, Imam Teliat Olushina, over alleged attacks on the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye. It would be recalled that the Chief Imam had granted an interview where he attacked the monarch. The family described the Chief Imam as an impostor, using social media to allegedly blackmail the Soun of Ogbomoso. Speaking with journalists in Ibadan on behalf of the family, Prince Hassan Ayilara claimed that Olushina has brought disrepute to Imam Ayilara’s  family, prestigious throne of Soun and image of the entire Muslim  community…

The enchanter recited the incantation with utmost fury: “River Niger and River Benue, the confluence is in Kogi State. Except say River Niger and River Benue no come meet for Kogi; if River Niger and River Benue come meet for Kogi, dem no go fit arrest Bello… Dem dey use EFCC pursue am, dem no go succeed o. Dem go lay siege for im house for Abuja… Except say I no be born of Igala kingdom… EFCC dey front, you dey back; you dey back, dem dey front; you dey left, dem dey right; you dey right, dem dey left;…