Author: Obayomi Abiola Benjamin

Early in the life of his administration, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola brought up a video for those he believed were going to play critical roles in the implementation of his development agenda. It was a video on Bogota, the once decrepit, dreaded slummy province of Columbia. It was a story of tearing down and building up what many had resigned to as the fate of a settlement that was beyond redemption. But Bogota was redeemed. The essence of that exercise was to inject in the veins of those who would later play critical roles in the transformation of Osun, the passion…

The word ‘tribulation’ sounds kind of harsh, isn’t it? Before I took an in-depth study on the word, I used to take it to mean something that is very grievous – an experience that is very difficult to survive sometimes. I had solely relied on the word Jesus said to His disciples that in this world, you shall have tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. So, I had assumed it has to be the kind of experiences that the apostles had – been locked up in prison unjustly, been beaten at sometimes and all of…

Ignorance of the law no doubt is not an excuse. As much as the Landlord owns the property, the tenants as well also have their rights. And this is why a duly signed tenancy agreement must be given to both the landlord and the tenants if a property manager wants to experience some peace while managing on behalf of their client (the landlord). The story I am about to share here happens in real terms, and I was also involved. But the important is not the story itself, but the lessons I got from it afterwards. On this fateful day,…

It is no longer news that housing is one of the major problems in Nigeria today. Not just housing as it were – but a decent and affordable housing for that matter. Housing experts have come up with the statistics, and that it would take over 17 million housing units to currently mitigate the present housing problem. Seventeen million is a lot, isn’t it? Whether the Nigerian government will be able to make this happen is story for another day or whether they would continue to allow the private sector develop these houses at a very ridiculous prices that are…

Seven out of every 10 Nigerians are hypertensive, Prof. Modupe Onadeko, a retired Reproductive Medicine consultant at the University College Hospital, (UCH) Ibadan, said. She added that 50 per cent of this 7 are unaware of their condition and the remaining half are just not bothered to seek medical help to treat this condition. Onadeko told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan in an in on the commemoration of the World Hypertension Day 2017. She said that hypertension was a risk factor for Cerebrovascular Accidents (CVA), also called Stroke or Heart Attack. The consultant said that hypertension as…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on Monday injected a total of 457.3 million dollars into the various segments of the foreign exchange market; the highest since mid-February. This follows the lull that was experienced in the system last week. A breakdown of the intervention showed that a total of 267.3 million dollars was disbursed to the spot and forwards segments, while 100 million dollars was sold at the wholesale segment. The SME as well as the invisible sections which comprise basic travel allowances, tuition and medical, received 50 million dollars and 40 million dollars, respectively. Meanwhile, the volume of…

The time has come for Congress to launch an impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump for obstruction of justice. The remedy of impeachment was designed to create a last-resort mechanism for preserving our constitutional system. It operates by removing executive-branch officials who have so abused power through what the framers called “high crimes and misdemeanors” that they cannot be trusted to continue in office. No American president has ever been removed for such abuses, although Andrew Johnson was impeached and came within a single vote of being convicted by the Senate and removed, and Richard Nixon resigned to avoid that…

Hey people, this piece actually is meant for those who see themselves getting married someday. It is no longer news that marriage is an honourable thing and the desire of nearly every young people today, male or female alike; is to be called husbands or wives of some persons in some not too distant future. Having a plan in mind to be married someday can be likened to having a plan to develop a mighty edifice. You don’t start building anything from the top, but rather; from the foundation. Having a desire to have a successful marriage begins from how…

Fellow Nigerians, let me confess that one of my addictions is reading books. I just love the feel and thrill that books can give to you. I simply cannot resist great covers. And the subject matter is irrelevant. From prose to poetry, fiction to science fiction and even faction, autobiographies, biographies or what have you, I read them all. I’m therefore just greedy and voracious about books and bury my head into whatever I find near me. Our generation was raised on books. We loved to make shakara with books and the bravado even attracted ladies to us as undergraduates.…

Africa and similes are now back in big business. Our friends in America’s punditry are all rushing to Africa for explanations of their current predicament. It does not happen here. It happens only in Africa. It happens only in the banana Republics of the Third World. He is like an African dictator. He is like an African despot. He is like an African this. He is like an African that. He is anything but us, this beast, this monstrosity, this aberration. And the similes pour from the pundits on American TV. And the metaphors rain on radio, in newspaper opinion…