ILARA-MOKIN HOST BUSINESS NETWORK GOLF TOURNAMENT.

The Smokin Hills Golf Resort in Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, will host the 2026 Business Network Golf Tournament on February 21.

The event, sponsored by Bode Adediji Partnership and Kontinental Developers Limited, aims to bring together businessmen, professionals, and artisans worldwide.

The tournament is a way to contribute to the sporting community, according to Adediji, a renowned estate surveyor and valuer. He believes the growth of golf is linked to a nation’s socio-economic progress.

The main purpose of this tournament, Adediji, a great lover of the game of golf says, “is our little way to contribute to the sporting community”. In his words, “there is a school of thought that tries to establish a linkage between the growth in golf players and infrastructural facilities, on one hand and the overall socio-economic progress of a nation, on the other hand”.

Usually, he observes, “it is an index of development”. Making reference to countries like Japan, China, South Korea, United States and Italy, where the game of golf thrives, he says, it is not possible to have this game in an environment of backwardness and poverty”.

To many people, the relevance of the game of golf to business growth as well as the development and management of urban infrastructure may not be clear enough. Adediji has this to say: there are two major reasons why we are promoting the game of golf. The main reason is that it falls within the aspect we call leisure and recreation management which is an integral part of business and professional developments worldwide.

On the choice of the Smokin Hills Golf Resort for the business networking, he says, Elizade Golf Resorts,‘The Smokin Hills’, in Ilara Mokin, Ondo State, was developed by Ondo born High Chief and Chairman of Elizade Motors, Chief Michael Adeojo. According to him, “the 18

-hole golf resort is the latest addition to Nigeria’s list of growing golf courses”.

The course, which is just about 20 minutes from Akure, the Ondo State capital, is located in a university town and is the first and only golf facility in cocoa-producing Ondo State.

Arguably, Adediji says, it is one of the best courses in Nigeria today, saying, its sheer aesthetics value surpassed first time visitors’ expectations, as golfers who have hit the course are quick to compare it with IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja and Le Meridien Ibom Golf Resort, Uyo, the only Nigerian courses with world class attributes.

Close by is the Elizade University and it is a course that takes patience and the ability to be creative around the Green. You could see this from the several bunkers and huge trees that dot the course.The course is completely entirely playable, even to a weekend hacker.

Elizade University and the golf course is capable of handling any course anyone would think of in Nigeria and in comparison with other similar universities /colleges across the globe”, Adediji remarked.

No doubt, this unique golf course is beyond every imagination!

Breaking! Lagos Assembly Suspends Makoko Demolition

Following protests by residents and advocacy groups, the Lagos State House of Assembly has ordered an immediate suspension of ongoing demolitions in Makoko.

Rising from a meeting between lawmakers and representatives of the Makoko community at the Assembly Complex in Alausa, Ikeja, on Tuesday, the Majority Leader of the House, Noheem Adams, issued a directive to halt the demolitions.

“On behalf of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, and honourable members of this House, we are taking this matter seriously. All ongoing demolitions should be stopped,” Hon. Adams said.

He added that the Assembly would work with relevant ministries and agencies to review issues surrounding the demolitions and ensure all stakeholders are properly engaged.

He called for transparency by demanding the full list of taskforce members and the criteria used for engagement, adding, “We want to see the list of the taskforce that was constituted because we want the residents to be duly involved and to be carried along. So we want to have the schedule of those task forces and the criteria for those that we are inviting.”

Hon. Adams assured residents of the affected communities that, “As your representatives, we are giving you all assurances that they will stop demolitions henceforth and there will be compensations for all those whose properties have been demolished.”

Similarly, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, member of the ad-hoc committee, said there is a need for clear communication, adding that residents targeted for relocation or redevelopment must be informed of the government’s plans in advance.

Babatunde Olajide, Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos on E-GIS and Urban Renewal, confirmed that $2 million had been earmarked since 2021 to transform Makoko into a modern, internationally compliant water city.

He said enumeration of affected properties is underway and reiterated the administration’s commitment to handling the situation with a human face, prioritizing resident safety and fair compensation.

Makinde, Turaki, Ajadi, PDP NWC Commission New Oyo PDP Secretariat As PDP Signals Unity Ahead of 2027

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State on Tuesday formally unveiled its newly built state secretariat in Ibadan, in a show of renewed unity, internal discipline and strategic positioning ahead of future electoral contests.

The commissioning ceremony, held at Molete–Oke Ado Road, Ibadan, attracted top-ranking party leaders, including Governor Seyi Makinde, leading governorship aspirant Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), state executives, elders, and party faithful from across the state.

The edifice, donated by Governor Makinde, was described by party leaders as a major institutional investment aimed at strengthening the PDP’s organisational capacity and internal cohesion in Oyo State.

Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the event, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo described the commissioning as “a symbolic rebirth” of the PDP in the state, noting that a strong party structure remains the backbone of democratic success.

“This secretariat represents more than bricks and mortar. It is a statement of commitment to party unity, internal democracy and grassroots mobilisation,” Ajadi said. “When a party is organised and disciplined, it becomes easier to deliver good governance and earn the trust of the people.”

Ajadi, a leading gubernatorial aspirant under the PDP, commended Governor Makinde for what he described as “practical leadership that prioritises party stability over personal interest,” adding that the development would further energise members at the ward, local government and state levels.

Earlier in his address, Governor Seyi Makinde declared that the PDP in Oyo State had undergone a complete repositioning, stressing that internal indiscipline no longer had a place in the party.

According to the governor, “there are no more vagabonds in the PDP,” a statement he said reflected the party’s resolve to operate with clarity of purpose, loyalty and collective responsibility.

Makinde explained that since November 2025, the party had taken decisive steps to deal with elements undermining its unity, noting that the PDP was now focused on consolidation and service delivery.

“This building symbolises a new chapter for our party in Oyo State,” the governor said. “It is about unity, discipline and sustaining the confidence the people of Oyo State have placed in us.”

The governor also announced that the secretariat had been named after the late Alhaji Omokunmi Mustapha, a former chairman of the Oyo State PDP, who led the party during its historic victory in the 2019 general elections.

Makinde described Mustapha as a loyal party man whose contributions to the PDP’s resurgence in the state deserved permanent recognition.

“He was instrumental to our return to power. Naming this secretariat after him is our way of immortalising his sacrifice and commitment to the party,” the governor added.

In a pointed political remark, Makinde reacted to recent comments reportedly made by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, regarding PDP affairs in Oyo State, asserting that the party’s structure and leadership in the state remain firmly under the control of duly elected officials.

“The PDP in Oyo State is mature enough to manage its own affairs,” Makinde said, insisting that decisions concerning the party would continue to reflect the will of its members within the state.

Performing the commissioning, PDP National Chairman, Dr. Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), praised the Oyo State chapter for what he described as exemplary organisation and loyalty to the party’s ideals.

Turaki noted that strong state chapters form the foundation of a vibrant national party, urging members to maintain unity as the PDP works to reposition itself nationally.

Party leaders and stakeholders at the event described the new secretariat as a rallying point for reconciliation, strategic planning and grassroots engagement, expressing optimism that the development would further strengthen the PDP’s dominance in Oyo State.

As the ceremony drew to a close, supporters hailed the gathering as a clear signal that the PDP in Oyo State is closing ranks, consolidating its structures and preparing for future political battles with renewed confidence.