Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A group of visually-impaired job applicants has accused the Lagos State Local Government Civil Service Commission of systematically excluding qualified candidates from its ongoing recruitment exercise. The affected applicants, organized under the Lagos chapter of the Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB), said they successfully sat for and passed the online aptitude tests and were scheduled for physical screening in October 2025. However, they claim they were turned away on the screening day and have not received any follow-up communication since. In a letter signed by NAB Secretary Isaiah Daniel and Chairperson of the Skill Acquisition and Employment Committee, Oluwakemi…

… Senate Panel Says Trillions Could Return To Federal Coffers …States Now Empowered To Generate Electricity Independently …Removal Seen As Critical Step In 2026 Budget Reforms Daud Olatunji Members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations have called for the full removal of the electricity subsidy, describing it as a significant drain on federal finances. The lawmakers made the recommendation on Monday during a public hearing on the 2026 budget proposal at the National Assembly. Chairman of the committee, Senator Adeola Olamilekan (Ogun West), said the subsidy has become a major fiscal burden despite reforms in the power sector and the…

Cocoa stakeholders across Nigeria have threatened to stage peaceful protests following the mysterious disappearance of the Executive Cocoa Board Bill from the National Assembly’s legislative agenda. The Cocoa Roundtable Initiative (CORI), an umbrella body representing local and global cocoa interests, said the bill, which was transmitted to the House of Representatives on November 10, 2025, and the Senate on November 13, has yet to receive legislative attention. In a statement signed by Adeola Adegoke, Director-General of CORI, the delay, coupled with the unexplained disappearance of the bill, threatens the sustainability of Nigeria’s cocoa industry. Adegoke also serves as the National…

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, has blamed delays in federal fund releases for the poor implementation of his ministry’s 2025 capital projects. Speaking on Monday during the 2026 budget defence before the House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services, Pate revealed that while personnel costs were fully funded and utilised, capital expenditure faced severe setbacks. According to the minister, the ministry received just N36 million of the N218 billion approved for capital projects in 2025, leaving most planned infrastructure and health programmes unimplemented. Pate explained that delays in meeting counterpart funding obligations also hindered access to…

The Independent National Electoral Commission has denied allegations that it registered underage students as voters in Osun State, describing a viral video circulating on social media as misleading and aimed at discrediting the electoral process. In a statement issued on Monday, the commission’s spokesperson in the state, Musa Olurode, said no underage person was registered at any INEC office, insisting that officials strictly adhered to constitutional and legal requirements during the exercise. He explained that some students of YTD Grammar School, Ojoro, in Ede North Local Government Area, were reportedly brought to the INEC office last Friday in their school…

A police constable serving with the Borno State Command, Mohammed Alhaji Muhammad, has returned N2.6m that was mistakenly transferred into his bank account, in a move that has drawn commendation from residents and police authorities. The command’s spokesperson, Nahum Daso, confirmed the development on Monday, saying the officer acted promptly after discovering the unexpected credit alert. Daso explained that Muhammad, who works in the insurance unit of the command, received the alert last Thursday but immediately realised he was not expecting any funds. He reportedly sought permission the following morning to visit his bank, where he lodged a formal complaint…

Officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have accused the leadership of the paramilitary agency of persistent welfare failures, including irregular salary payments, unpaid promotion arrears and withheld allowances, allegations the corps’ headquarters has strongly denied. Multiple serving officers, who spoke to PLATFORM TIMES on condition of anonymity, said the situation had worsened in recent months, leaving thousands of personnel demoralised and financially distressed. According to them, salary payments have become unpredictable, with some officers paid while others are left unpaid for months without explanation. “What has become common in the last seven months is that some…

Political economist and former presidential candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi, on Monday warned that Nigeria is sliding towards national collapse, calling for urgent electoral and institutional reforms, including independent probes into the Independent National Electoral Commission and the judiciary. Utomi issued the warning at a press briefing on the state of the nation and electoral reforms, where he described Nigeria’s political system as “unsound” and incapable of guaranteeing justice, stability and democratic progress. “Our nation is in deep crisis. The state of our nation is unsound and pushing dangerously to the brink,” he said, urging citizens to “draw a line in…

Residents of Dunshigogo community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have been thrown into panic following a reported threat letter from suspected Boko Haram insurgents, barely days after a deadly attack on neighbouring Worro community left scores dead and the monarch missing. Sources told PLATFORM TIMES on Sunday that the letter, allegedly delivered to Dunshigogo, warned residents of an imminent attack in language similar to that reportedly sent to Worro shortly before the massacre that claimed over 170 lives. A community source said businesses had begun shutting down as residents fled in droves. “Information reaching me is that…

The Oyo State Police Command has disrupted a suspected secret cult gathering at a public secondary school in Oyo town, arresting three suspects during an intelligence-led operation. The suspects — Jelili Taiwo Kazeem (20), Toheeb Adediran (25) and Ayomide Taiwo (23) — were apprehended by detectives from the Atiba Division at Bode Thomas Secondary School, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed in a statement on Monday. According to the police, operatives had received credible intelligence that about 30 young men dressed in black were converging at the school premises for a suspected initiation or meeting. On sighting the police…