mnl168.org Cousins Properties Announces Pricing of Senior Notes OfferingWILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Keller Boothby's 16 points helped William & Mary defeat Navy 82-76 on Sunday. Boothby went 6 of 8 from the field (4 for 6 from 3-point range) for the Tribe (6-7). Gabe Dorsey scored 16 points and added three steals. Noah Collier went 7 of 9 from the field to finish with 14 points, while adding seven rebounds. Austin Benigni finished with 16 points for the Midshipmen (3-10). Jinwoo Kim added 15 points for Navy. Donovan Draper had 14 points and seven rebounds. The loss was the Midshipmen's sixth in a row. Collier scored 10 points in the first half for William & Mary, who led 41-33 at the break. William & Mary took the lead for good with 3:03 left in the second half on a layup from Dorsey to make it a 73-71 game. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT: Psalter: Week 2 / (Red) St. Lucy, virgin & martyr Responsorial Psalm: Ps: 1: 1-2, 3, 4, 6: Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life. 1st Reading: Isaiah 48: 17-19 Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, Yahweh, your God, teach you what is best for you; I lead you in the way that you must go. Had you paid attention to my commandments, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Your descendants would been like the sand, and those born of your stock like its grains, their names never cut off nor blotted out from my presence. Gospel: Matthew 11: 16-19 Now, to what can I compare the people of this day? They are like children sitting in the marketplace, about whom their companions complain: ‘We played the flute for you, but you would not dance. We sang a funeral song, but you would not cry!’ For John came fasting, and people said, ‘He is possessed by a demon!’ Then, the Son of Man came. He ate and drank; and people said, ‘Look at this man: a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet, wisdom is vindicated by her works.” REFLECTION: “Jesus' steadfast heart.” The season of Advent is a time to fortify the good in us. It is the time to allow the seed of goodness which God has planted in our hearts to grow. Sometimes, we may have some experiences when after we have done something good for others, and at times to the best of our ability, we are given negative criticisms in return. Because of this, we may be discouraged, and the experience may dampen our spirit. However, we need to remember that every good deed we have done already serves as a vindication of the kind of person we have already become. Furthermore, Jesus exhorts us not to lose composure. We should never get tired of doing what we believe is good even if others do not positively respond to the good things we do. Our Gospel pericope for today speaks of Jesus’ steadfast heart to continue doing what is good while at the same time correcting the childish ways of his generation. Sadly, the people were not able to see the good things done either by Jesus or by John the Baptist. Nevertheless, nothing could stop either John or Jesus from doing what is good. CLARETIAN COMMUNICATIONS FOUNDATION, INC. 8 Mayumi Street, U.P. Village, Diliman, 1101 Quezon City, Philippines Tel.: (02) 8921-3984 • Fax: (02) 8921-6205, 8927-7429 Bookstore: (02) 8924-6835 Email: ccfi@claretianpublications.ph Website: www.claretianpublications.phThe didgeridoo is a wind instrument made by hollowing out the limbs or even the trunks of trees. It produces a low-pitched, soulful, resonant hum. This alone makes it captivating enough but the indigenous Australian people believe this long, wooden flute, which may perhaps be the oldest instrument known to mankind, connects them to the invisible forces that shape our world. It certainly felt like it on the morning of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test. Perth Stadium - whose walls are adorned with 17 verses of indigenous Noongar prose - practically shook in tune with the music. When all this was happening, had found himself a little spot over on the other side of the ground and was taking some last-minute throwdowns, except it went way longer than that and if it hadn't been time for the national anthems, he might have kept going. "This is the toughest challenge," had said leading up to the game. "So I give this message to everyone: if you come and perform in this country then your cricket level will go up." "This is where you make your name for yourself on one of the biggest stages in the world to play cricket," bowling coach had said. "I think that's one of the driving forces in this group of young guys to come up here and play good, solid cricket, score five-, six-hundred runs in a series, take 19-20 wickets, and put yourself on that stage. It's a fantastic carrot to dangle in front of Indian players." certainly took this whole opening-the-batting business really seriously, but he seemed equally preoccupied with something else as well during the first half-hour of play. Gardening. He kicked the dirt off his batting crease. He marked and re-marked his guard. He patted the grass by the side of the pitch. He patted the good-length area of the pitch. He wanted to stay connected with the game. He wanted to stay plugged in. He wanted to get in that zone. On Friday, at Perth Stadium, if you weren't in the zone, you didn't exist. **** Bumrah was among the first to be back out there at the change of innings. And he was letting them fly. His genius has distorted reality before and just then it seemed like he was fine working with 150 on the board. It can be the dark that makes his light shine brighter. The pace was up. At the pre-match press conference, he picked up on the words "medium-fast" and forgot about everything else that followed including the next one - "allrounder". The question was actually about , but he fired back "150 , fast bowler " [I bowl 150kph, call me a fast bowler please]. Misplaced indignation aside, there's a chance he's underselling himself there. Bumrah created four wicket-taking opportunities with his first 12 deliveries on tour. He was doing almost the same thing in the nets, but there were no stakes there. Nathan McSweeney was the only casualty during this period of play, out lbw to a good-length ball curved into his front pad. He could have been dismissed earlier when a back-of-a-length ball zipped past his outside edge. Marnus Labuschagne's score - 2 off 52 - could easily have lost its curiosity value if Virat Kohli had been able to take a catch that he offered from the second ball he faced. This one was angled in and held its line. Bumrah was bowling fast - yeah, so fast bowler makes sense - but he brings people alive. A record crowd for a Test match day in Perth - 31,302 - including a very quiet Indian contingent until their captain was on a hat-trick. Then they began chanting his name. He makes the batting crease - which is usually wide open space - claustrophobic. He has his own gravity. Everybody at the ground was drawn to him when he was at the top of his mark. He makes his own rules. Pitches aren't 22 yards long when he's bowling. It's about time cricket finds something else to describe him. Mitchell Starc pretty much said there's nobody like him: "He's obviously got a fair bit of hyperextension in that elbow and does things a lot of actions won't let you do. So there's no surprise he's been a fantastic bowler across formats for a long time and again his skills were on show today as to how good he is. I'm sure there's something in that release point that's significant to his action. It's something that a lot of people can't do. I'm certainly not going to go and try it." **** India's batters did the best they could. The score at lunch - 51 for 4 - and immediately afterwards, when Mitchell Marsh was taking wickets - 73 for 6 - may not have looked nice but they were facing a relentless bowling attack that was able to generate, on average, 0.8 degrees of seam movement. That's a lot. Three of the four Tests played at Perth Stadium before this one offered much less in terms of deviation after pitching: 0.65, 0.56, 0.62. India matched their hosts with the ball. They too were able to gain 0.8 degrees of seam on average, and , playing only his 11th first-class match, got almost twice that (1.36 degrees) when he dismantled Travis Head. The whole team got around him, which was good because he looked like he was ready to run straight out of the stadium. To be 22 years old and able to conjure that kind of magic on debut. Rana and Reddy were both told on match eve that they would be playing. Twenty-four hours later, both of them have played a significant part in India turning their fortunes around in about as dramatic a manner as there could be. "We got to know just before one day," Reddy said after the day's play. "We were a little excited as well. Obviously nervousness as well was there. We were having dinner and we were just keeping ourselves the way we were last week. We wanted to continue that. We wanted to take no pressure. So we had a cycle ride as well last evening and it was good." Australia were expecting to face a very different bowling attack. They practiced hard for left-arm spin. Ravindra Jadeja got on the pitch only at lunch, to do some running drills. They have had enough run-ins with R Ashwin to be wary of him no matter the conditions. He was at the indoor nets, experimenting with legspin. They thought at least one of them would play. So did almost everybody else. India went in with a team designed to give them depth. An uncapped batting allrounder at No. 8. An uncapped bowling allrounder at No. 9. Washington Sundar, he of the no-look six from three years ago, as the lone spinner, a senior fast bowler who hasn't had a good time of late, and him. The biggest him in the world of cricket right now.

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Army-Navy game has added buzz

ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. He was 100 years old . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday afternoon, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. The center said he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. A moderate Democrat, Carter ran for president in 1976 as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiate cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to eradicate guinea worm infections as one of many health initiatives. Swinging hammers into their 90s, the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians revisit his presidency and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief" and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America's dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. Emphasizing human rights , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise" speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter's diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. married fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and they soon turned their ambitions to politics . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said. “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter.Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs blames Canada’s inaction for 140,000 backlogged cases for First Nations kids

On Tuesday, Dec. 10, The Business Journal hosted its 11th annual Best of Central Valley Business Awards dinner. Some of the Valley’s biggest names in business were in attendance at Pardini’s Catering to celebrate their achievements and be featured as one of the Valley’s top honorees, voted on by readers of The Business Journal. Today, The Business Journal highlights the nine first-time Best of Central Valley Business Award recipients. Congratulations to all winners. Granville Homes was voted Best Homebuilder for the 12the time this year, as well as the Best Business Supporting Local Charities. Founded in 1977, Granville has built more than 7,500 homes in the Central Valley. Granville Homes is very active in philanthropy, supporting organizations including Hinds Hospice, Poverello House and the Marjaree Mason Center. Each year, Granville supports dozens of nonprofit and community organizations. The Granville Home of Hope is the company’s biggest annual fundraiser. It raffles off a brand new home awarded to the winner as a grand prize. Granville CEO Darius Assemi said he is proud and grateful for the opportunity to support nine local nonprofits through Granville Home of Hope. He is also grateful for people who took the time to vote for The Business Journal’s “Best of” awards. “I’m grateful to our community that trusts Granville Homes and have supported our nominations for the ‘Best Homebuilder’ and ‘Best Business Supporting Local Charities.’” According to Granville Homes’ website, more than $9 million has been raised through the Granville Home of Hope program alone. The 2024 nonprofit beneficiaries are Angels of Grace, Breaking the Chains, CASA of Fresno & Madera Counties, Central California Food Bank, Foundation for Sanger Schools, Fresno Police & Fire Chaplaincy, Fresno Mission, Mell’s Mutts and Parents & Addicts in Need (PAIN). 1st Finalist: Fortune Associates 2nd Finalist: Russell G. Smith Inc. For the fourth time, Colliers International has been voted as the best commercial real estate company in the Central Valley. All four wins have been in the last six years. Colliers won three straight “Best Of” awards from 2019-21. Colliers was founded in 1968 as Charles Tingley Associates in Fresno. Since then, the Central California branch of Colliers International has become a leading commercial real estate firm, serving the San Joaquin Valley, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties. In addition to marketing properties from office, industrial, retail, land, investment to multifamily, Colliers is also a key source of data and information about the Central Valley commercial real estate market. Colliers is heavily involved in local charities. They helped provide 525,000 meals as part of the Central Valley Community Food Bank’s Hunger Heroes campaign. They’ve also partnered with Catholic Charities for their Turkey Drive. 1st Finalist: Commonwealth Lang Title Insurance 2nd Finalist: Fidelity National Title Co. This year marks the sixth time that Business Journal readers voted Chicago Title Co. as Best Title Company. The last time it won the award was in 2021. The company gained national recognition after the Great Chicago Fire of 1891 and has established its presence in the Central Valley for nearly 100 years, marking a deep history in the region. Jennifer Shepherd, vice president and sales manager at Chicago Title Co. Fresno/Madera, said it’s nice to be consistently recognized for its work in the community and meeting the standards they set for themselves of providing excellent service. Work was steady this year, Shepherd said, but there was some disruption on the home resale side with concerns about real estate agent commissions. On the refinance side, Shepherd said the team is poised for a rate cut to unlock potential clients. Shepherd said the team is excited for the growth seen in several of their offices, including the Clovis office that opened in 2023, which really blossomed. There are 10 Chicago Title Co. locations throughout the Central Valley between Fresno, and the Tulare/Kings County areas. In all locations in the Central Valley, Chicago Title Co. has more than 100 employees. “It was good that business has been steady, that we’ve been able to maintain and even grow some of their operations and we are looking forward to 2025 being a good year as well,” Shepherd said. Winning the Best Of award again is considered a benchmark by the Chicago Title Co. team, she said. 1st Finalist: Granville Realty 2nd Finalist: Dana Butcher and Associates For the ninth time in 11 years, Manco Abbott was voted as the best real estate property company. This is Manco Abbott’s third straight win in this category. In 2022, Manco Abbott celebrated 50 years of business. Greg Bethke, executive vice president at Manco Abbott, described the nomination for this award as validating. “It kind of validates our core values, that what we are setting out to do with the core values of our company are working,” Bethke said. “This means that our clients, our tenants and our residents on the multi-family side appreciate what we’re doing, and we’re delivering a good product to them.” Bethke, who has been at Manco Abbott for 23 years, said his favorite part of working there are the people. “Everybody here is passionate about what we do, and they all do a really good job of working towards our ultimate goals of creating value for our clients and creating a good environment for our commercial tenants and multi-family residents,” Bethke said. While 2024 is ending with an award, Bethke is excited for what’s next in 2025. “We’re always looking to improve on what we do,” Bethke said. “So we’re looking at technology, we’re looking at additional training for our people, and, you know, looking at anything and everything we can do to make our service stand out for our clients and our tenants.” 1st Finalist: PAul Halajian Architects 2nd Finalist: Teter Business Journal readers have voted for Darden Architects as the Best Architectural Firm for the ninth time. Founded By Edwin S. Darden in 1959, the firm’s early works supported the growing communities of the California San Joaquin Valley with their high-quality design and a strong commitment to customer service. The firm specializes in projects in education, health care, interior design and the civic sector. Some of Darden’s notable projects include Madera Community College, the emergency helipad at the Kaweah Health Medical Center in Visalia and the Visalia Emergency Communications Center. Darden is currently in its fourth generation of firm leadership with Robert L. Petithomme serving as managing principal. Today, the company utilizes new design technology to create 3-D visualizations and create more complete, concise, well-coordinated documents. Darden also gives back to the community, offering a $1,000 architecture scholarship to a San Joaquin Valley student since 2007 in hopes they will graduate and return to the area and strengthen the architectural profession. 1st Finalist: Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group 2nd Finalist: Blair, Church & Flynn Business Journal readers voted Precision Civil Engineering the best engineering firm in the Central Valley in 2024. This is the company’s second time winning the category within the last three years. The nomination “Solidifies the recognition of our collective skill-sets and commitment to the success of the Valley,” Makenna Bass, director of business development said in an email. Founder and President Ed Dunkel, Jr. is a fifth-generation Fresnan from a family with nearly 60 years of experience in engineering services. After getting its start in 2002, Precision Civil Engineering has grown and diversified from its roots in residential land development to now include planning, land surveying, construction management and more. As of 2024, the team at Precision has partnered with at least 1,453 clients and worked on more than 3,600 projects. According to Bass, Precision sets itself apart from its competitors in its “genuine affection for the communities we serve.” As the year ends and the company looks to the future, the goals are growing its footprint into the South Valley and eventual expansion outside of California. 1st Finalist: Cal Valley Insurance Services 2nd Finalist: Der Manouel Insurance Group Being nominated for the 11th consecutive year as the Best Property & Casualty Insurance Brokerage in the Best of Central Valley Business Awards is an incredible honor for everyone at DiBuduo & DeFendis Insurance Brokers (D&D). “As a family-owned business rooted in the heart of the Central Valley for 64 years, this recognition means so much to us because it reflects the trust and confidence our clients and community have in the work we do every day,” said Principal Mike DeFendis For over six decades, D&D has been committed to serving clients with integrity, dedication, and personalized care in the insurance industry. D&D takes pride in giving back through various initiatives and partnerships that uplift the Central Valley. Supporting local businesses, organizations, and families isn’t just part of their mission — it’s part of who they are. “Looking ahead to 2025, we’re filled with excitement and optimism. We’re thrilled to welcome new producers and team members, all throughout California, who share our passion for building meaningful relationships and delivering exceptional service. At the same time, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the clients who have been with us over the years, helping them protect what matters most,” said Principal Matt DeFendis. D&D is also third-generation family business that began with Anthony DiBuduo and Leonard DeFendis, Matt and Mike’s father. The award for D&D recognizes their roots, celebrates their achievements and embraces the promise of the future. It reflects their family’s legacy and enduring values. “We hope to make our father proud, it fuels our drive to continuously innovate, grow, and deepen our impact within the community. Thank you for this nomination,” said Matt DeFendis. On Tuesday, Dec. 10, The Business Journal hosted its 11th Workers at seven Amazon facilities went on strike Thursday, an Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in November to On Tuesday, Dec. 10, The Business Journal hosted its 11thOsun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has presented Staff of Office to the new Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland, Oba Clement Adesuyi Haastrup. This was made known in a statement to Naija News on Sunday by Governor Adeleke’s Spokesman, Mallam Olawale Rasheed. Top royal fathers and dignitaries at the event were Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II; Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu I; the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji; The Orangun of Ila, Oba Abdulwahab Oyedotun; Hon. Sunday Busy, Osun PDP Chairman; and members of the state executive council. While presenting the Staff of Office in Ilesa, the Governor admonished the new Deputy Chairman of Osun State Council of Obas that the time of competition is over and he should assume the position of father of all. He reeled out his achievement in Ijeshaland in the last two years of his administration while calling for further support from all and sundry for his administration. Ademola Adeleke “ It is with a sense of immense pride and responsibility that I stand before the good people of Ijeshaland this afternoon. In this great hall and in this historic city, we are set for the presentation of the staff of office and instrument of appointment to the new Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland, Oba Clement Adesuyi Haastrup. “I congratulate all distinguished sons and daughters of Ijeshaland both at home and abroad who are witnessing this historic moment. “Such an event took place over forty years ago when our revered departed father, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran was presented his instrument of appointment and staff of office. His reign was long, eventful, peaceful and full of massive developments in Ijeshaland. “I pray the same for our new Owa, Ade a pe lori, Bata a pe lese. E o pe lori ite awon baba yin. “Kabiyesi, now that the time of competition is over and you have become the father of all, I urge you to rally round all citizens of Ijeshaland for the development of the area and the State at large. “I urge you to deploy your wealth of experience garnered over the years and your contacts within and outside the country for the development of Ijeshaland. There is much work to be done and the Government alone cannot be saddled with the responsibility. It calls for the concerted efforts of all and sundry. “I want to seize this opportunity to call on all Ijesha sons and daughters to continue the development of the fatherland. Our administration is intensifying developmental efforts across the state including Ijeshaland. We need your continued cooperation and collaboration to further speed up the growth process. “In the last two years of my administration, we have made tremendous impact in the massive infrastructural development of the State, Ijeshaland inclusive. For the first time in the history of Ilesa, my administration is constructing a dual carriageway in the ancient town. This is in addition to several other infrastructural developments in Ilesa and Ijeshaland in general. “I therefore urge all and sundry to continue to support this administration as we take developments to every corner of the state. I promise not to relent on our efforts to transform our dear State. We have been doing this and we will continue to do more in the new year “, the Governor noted. Responding, the new Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Clement Adesuyi Hastrup accepted to serve as the 41st Owa Obokun Adimula and the paramount ruler of Ijeshaland, while promising to rule with wisdom, justice, divine guidance and compassion. “ I accept this noble position of Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland with gratitude and reverence, knowing that it is not by might, but divine arrangement. I am humbled, privileged and honoured by the trust you have collectively placed in me. “I make a solemn promise to rule with wisdom, justice, divine guidance and compassion. I vow to protect our land, to defend our traditions and values, and to promote peace, prosperity, and happiness for all. I shall leverage on my healthy interpersonal relationships, wide social networks and global business interests cultivated over the years to bring enviable development to Ijeshaland. “I recognize that the progress of our land is built on the strength, harmony and empowerment of our people. I pledge to listen to your voices, to hear your concerns, and by the grace of Almighty God, work tirelessly to address them”, Oba Haastrup pledged. Meanwhile, the new Owa Obokun has appointed industrialist, Lateef Bakare as the new Ajiroba of Ijeshaland while Deputy Inspector General of Police, Taiwo Lakanu (Rtd.) was appointed the new Gbobaniyi of Ijeshaland. The new monarch made the announcements at his installation and presentation of staff of office. Lateef Bakare is an alumnus of Yaba College of Technology and Brookes University, United Kingdom. He is a member of Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (ACCA) UK and a member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), member Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.