Introducing My Football Club, Ibadan United FC. I’ve always loved the game of football. As you all know, I’m a die-hard fan of Shooting Stars, a club I have supported for over 40 years, right from when I was a kid. It’s a club I even sponsored for a few years at one point. However, I’ve always wanted to own my own football club. But I didn’t want to have a club in Ibadan that would play against Shooting Stars. About five years ago, my friend, @biolakazeem and I came up with the idea of establishing one in Lekki, Lagos, where I have a home and where the head office of my businesses is located. So, we formed Lekki United and competed in the NLO, the third tier of the Nigerian football league. After about two years, European scouts started noticing some of our players and began approaching us about collaborations which includes taking them abroad. That was when it dawned on me. My people in Egbeda/Ona-Ara Federal Constituency, my people in Ibadan, and indeed Oyo State in general, should be the ones benefiting from this opportunity. That was when I decided to rebrand the club and move it to Ibadan. The issue of playing against Shooting Stars should not be a problem. In fact, we can even help Shooting Stars. The club can serve as a pipeline for talent to the Oluyole Warriors and to clubs abroad. More importantly, it is a pathway to help talented footballers in my constituency and across Oyo State realise their dreams. So, here we are. Ibadan United Football Club is here. We play in the 3rd Tier of Nigerian Football, the NLO We will make history together. Akin Alabi Hon. Akin Alabi Egbeda/Ona-Ara Federal Constituency Ajia Olubadan of Ibadanland

Negative tweets, online curses, abuses etc comes with the territory. I even enjoy it. One of my favourite quotes is “if you have not triggered anybody by noon, you are not pushing hard enough”.

Harsh decision.

Hehe. My brother, the way we like to say if we had beaten Italy, we would have gone to the finals is funny to me. What’s the guarantee that we would have beaten Spain in the quarters? Reminds me of France 98 when we were already planning to play Brazil in the quarters but Denmark had other ideas.

Interesting fact is that things that shape our daily lives don’t trend when they happen. This ACT is the kind of structural reform that strengthens governance and lays the foundation for better outcomes over time. The micro matters but it’s built on getting the macro right first.

A quick meeting yesterday at the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland with the Ekefa Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oloye Fola Lapade; Ekefa Balogun, Oloye Amusa Eleruwere; Agbaakin Balogun, Oloye Emiola Onideure; Aare Alasa Olubadan, Oloye Muibi Adewuyi; and Ajia Balogun, Oloye Denrele Lekan-Salami.

We drained our reserves from $62bn to $28bn to satisfy your fx needs. GEJ can be compared to a father of 20 children who stumbled on 100 bags of rice, and decided to throw parties every day without replenishing the rice barn. Of course, the children will be happy until the family is left with 2 cups of rice. All the FX you spent in the UK on your cards came as a result of pegging the Naira and draining the FX reserves. The Central Bank had to constantly sell its own foreign currency to artificially maintain the exchange rate. The decision to also keep the peg by PMB, led to further depletion of our reserves and a backlog of $7bn. When you shop or use your card abroad, VISA or MasterCard pay the $$ on your behalf and later demand the FX from your local bank. Back to rice, If you eat rice in London, VISA or Mastercard gives you 2 plates but sends their representatives in Nigeria which is your bank to collect the 2 plates from your family barn. For as long as you have 100 bags of rice, you have no worries. When you are left with 2 cups, the representative will no longer guarantee your 2 plates of rice in London. PBAT came in and unpegged the Naira, allowing it to find its true value. Cleared our fx backlog and rebuilt the fx reserve to the highest in 17 years.

One of the reasons I chose a federal university for my PhD is because of what President Bola Tinubu has done. One of the top three reasons PhDs take forever in government owned universities in Nigeria is the recurring ASUU strikes. I considered private universities in Nigeria and even foreign universities, but I eventually settled for a FG owned university because of how President Tinubu has, seemingly almost magically, resolved this perennial problem. I imagine how happy thousands of Nigerian students are about this.

Happy birthday to my big brother, former speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila. I wish you many more birthdays in great health. Hon Akin Alabi Ajia Olubadan of Ibadanland

Speaker. Author. Investor. Politician. Lawmaker. Olubadan-In-Line.

Happy 70th Birthday To An Exemplary Leader, Hon. Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, CON Majority Leader, House of Representatives. I wish you many more years in sound health. Hon Akin Alabi Chairman, House @WorksCommittee

Six years ago, we lost our father, leader and mentor, the former governor of Oyo State, Sen Abiola Ajimobi. Today, your footprints are everywhere. Those of us that you trained are still out there doing things and trying to make you proud. Rest on great leader. Hon Akin Alabi Ajia Olubadan of Ibadanland.

Thank you to my leader and father, Senator Ajimobi. My mom says a million thank yous. Thank you for your support and for making the day a success. I love you.

I noticed the change for the first time in 1994. Marc Overmars used to play right wing for Ajax but when Finidi George came, Louis van Gaal didn’t want either of them to be on the bench so he left Finidi on the right and moved Overmars (a right footer) to the left. It worked.