Author: Obayomi Abiola Benjamin

China’s first domestically produced passenger plane has completed its maiden test flight. The twin-engine C919 jetliner was built by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). In taking off from an airport in Shanghai, the narrow-body jet has marked a milestone in China’s decade-long drive to decrease its dependency on Western aerospace companies. Chinese president Xi Jinping had endorsed the project before taking office, visiting the company and stressing the value of China’s ability to produce high-value technology products. His words to workers were emblazoned on C919’s production facility: “Accelerate the construction of the world’s top aviation company and…

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN has assured Nigerians that doing business in the country is becoming easier going by the recent reforms undertaken by the Presidential Enabling Business Council (PEBEC) and currently being implemented by the relevant agencies. The Vice President who disclosed this at the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Clinic in Jos, said issues of new business registration, access to loans, certification of products, issuance of visas and import inspection were all being addressed under a new reform regime anchored by the PEBEC secretariat. According to him, “we tried to look at the various areas that make…

A former Deputy Governor of CBN, Dr Obadiah Mailafia says Nigeria is on its way out of recession with the prediction of international organisations and the current economic outlook. Mailafia told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday that some international organisations had projected that the country would likely come out of recession by the end of the year. He said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had said the country might be out of recession as growth had gone back to 0.8 per cent toward the end of the year. “In 2016, it was negative growth,…

Celebrities across the country’s entertainment industry on Wednesday took to social media to congratulate R and B sensation, Bankole Wellington also known as Banky W on his engagement to Nollywood actress, Adesua Etomi. Ace actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo popularly called RMD who played the role of Banky’s father in the blockbuster movie “The Wedding Party,”’ also joined an array of celebrities to congratulate the duo. RMD who took to his Instagram handle, Mofedamijo to felicitate with the duo wrote: “my babies, your love brings happiness to my spirit and tears of joy to my heart. I’m proud of the man you…

An Egyptian once believed to be the world’s heaviest and fattest woman left an Indian hospital Thursday for the United Arab Emirates where she will continue treatment following drastic weight-loss surgery, doctors said. Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty weighed roughly 500 kilograms when she arrived in Mumbai in February, but has shed an astonishing 323 kilograms since undergoing a series of medical procedures. With her weight now standing at 176.6 kilograms, she will begin a year-long course of physiotherapy at VPS Burjeel hospital in Abu Dhabi, her doctors in Mumbai said, according to the AFP. “We have arranged for a…

Nigeria is a theatre of drama. Just about the time you are exhausting one, another one simply ensues from nowhere. Sometime ago, it was a member of the National Assembly that released “Ajekun Iyaa”. That song is still a banger till tomorrow. Then, you hear that the President has relocated his office to his living room. It first of all began with him missing Federal executive council meetings like no man’s business. One would wonder why the president would consistently miss such crucial meeting when he is not outside of the country. And then suddenly, the minister of information said…

Come to think of it, the incoming French President (although the decisive round of vote has been schedule to hold two weeks from now in which multiple polls had already shown that Macron will defeat the far-right National Front’s Marine Le Pen with a large margin) is just 39 years old. His name is Emmanuel Macron. Events and stories like this would make you want to ask: what is wrong with Africa and the kind of politics we practice here. At times, I just conclude within me that the kind of political practice and culture will exhibit in this part…

Before President Muhammadu Buhari came on board in 2015, the resolve of an average Nigerian like me was that for the first time since the return of democracy in 1999; Nigerians would have a president who would not toil with corruption or any corrupt official around him. So massively, Nigerians rallied around Mr. President and gave him the mandate. It was clearly sure then before he came on board that Nigeria was faced with so many problems; however, two particularly were begging for attention at the time. First is the issue of security. It was at the time when Boko…

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has commiserated with the entire Yoruba race and members of the House of Oduduwa all over the world, over the sudden deaths of Senator Isiaka Adeleke, Dipo Famakinwa and Olumide Bakare which occurred within a space of three days. Oba Ogunwusi described the tragedy as an unpleasant news of bereavement of the prominent. “It was a rude shock to us at the Royal Court of Ife this morning, to receive the unpleasant news of the death of Senator Isiaka Adeleke just two days after we lost a very virtuous son, Mr Dipo…

I have been thinking lately about why Apostle Peter refused to bring back to life Ananias and Saphira his wife, and literally watched them being knocked out one after the other by the Holy Ghost. I have also been thinking like “why couldn’t Apostle Peter pleaded on their behalf and probably pray to God to have mercy on them and then bring back to life again”. I want to also believe that if Apostle Peter had done that, Ananias and Saphira could have had a second chance to live; they would have learnt a vital lesson of their lives from…