Author: Platform Times Newspaper

….Over 60 laws Streamlined Into One Revenue Hits N28.7tn Amid Reforms President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday said archaic tax laws inherited from the colonial era contributed to widespread poverty in Nigeria, stressing that his administration’s sweeping fiscal reforms are aimed at driving prosperity, equity and investor confidence. Tinubu stated this during the commissioning of the 16-storey headquarters of the Nigeria Revenue Service in Abuja, where top government officials, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, were in attendance. The President said the old tax regime was characterised by fragmentation, multiplicity and inconsistencies,…

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights has raised the alarm over the recent redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, warning that the move could undermine confidence in the forthcoming 2026 governorship election. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the group expressed concern over the transfer of the REC, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, at what it described as a critical period in the state’s electoral process. The rights body noted that while the Independent National Electoral Commission has the constitutional authority to redeploy its officials, the timing of the decision had generated “widespread suspicion and tension”…

Professor Afolashade Kuyoro of Babcock University has allayed fears over the impact of artificial intelligence on employment, declaring that the technology is not an immediate threat to jobs but a tool for advancing human creativity and innovation. Kuyoro, who delivered the university’s 60th inaugural lecture titled “From Data to Imagination: The Next Frontier of Intelligent Systems,” said AI should be seen as a collaborator rather than a replacement for human intellect. She explained that AI had evolved beyond data-driven prediction and classification to generative systems capable of producing new content, simulations and innovations. According to her, “Intelligence is no longer…

Fawaz Adebisi Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun on Tuesday advised the newly installed Odemo of Isara Remo, Oba Peter Oluwole Ogunbayo, to prioritise unity and people-centred development as he begins his reign. They gave the charge during the monarch’s installation as the 38th Odemo of Isara Remo, held at AUD Primary School, where the governor, represented by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, presented the staff of office. The ceremony drew traditional rulers, political office holders and community leaders from within and outside Remoland, in what observers described as a symbolic…

The outgoing Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, Dr Mutiu Agboke, on Tuesday urged staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission to uphold professionalism and ensure that only the will of the electorate determines winners in elections. Agboke gave the charge during his farewell address at a handing-over ceremony held at Segun Agbaje Hall, INEC premises, Osogbo. The REC, who is being redeployed to another state, warned electoral officials against compromising their duties, stressing that any action capable of undermining democratic values would deepen voter apathy and erode public trust in the electoral process. “Ensure you allow the mandate of…

A former lawmaker, Senator Tolu Odebiyi, has congratulated Solomon Olamilekan Adeola on his emergence as the consensus governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State ahead of the forthcoming general elections. Odebiyi, who represented Ogun West Senatorial District between 2019 and 2023, described Adeola’s emergence as “symbolic and historic,” noting that it signalled a strengthening of internal democratic processes within the party. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the former senator said the development marked a defining moment for Ogun West, adding that it effectively ended what he termed a “long-standing jinx” over the district’s governorship aspirations. He…

The Ogun State Muslim Council has faulted the planned return of mission-founded schools to their original missionary owners, warning that the move could undermine public trust, disrupt religious harmony, and worsen the out-of-school children crisis in the state. The council, in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abeokuta and signed by its Secretary-General, Asiwaju Kamal’deen Akintunde, described the proposal as a “politicisation of religion” and an unnecessary attempt to inject religious considerations into governance. The Muslim body argued that the issue of school ownership had long been resolved by successive administrations, noting that a workable arrangement had encouraged missionary organisations…

… Warns Against ‘Imposed Consensus’, Calls For Resistance Daud Olatunji A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has criticised the emergence of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi,as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State in the coming election, warning that the development signals a dangerous drift towards state capture in the state. Adeola was announced on Monday evening ny the state governor, Dapo Abiodun during the party state caucus meeting as the consensus governorship candidate of the APC for 2027 election. Showunmi, in a statement titled “From…

As the Federal University of Technology, Ilaro, Igun State, prepares to hold its 23rd convocation ceremony on Wednesday, the institution has announced that no fewer than 233 students benefited from a N32m disbursement under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund for the current academic session. The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Dr Mikhail Akinde, disclosed this on Monday during a media chat held on the campus to herald the convocation, describing the intervention as a lifeline that enabled many students to complete their academic programmes. Akinde said the loan scheme, introduced by the President Bola Tinubu administration, had significantly reduced the financial burden on…

A fresh political tension is brewing within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as youth groups and aspirants from the South-West have announced a seven-day protest tagged “Occupy INEC South-West Protest” over the alleged delisting of the party’s national leadership from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal. The mobilisation comes amid growing concerns within the party that its leadership crisis could undermine its scheduled national convention slated for Tuesday, April 14, in Abuja, the same day a court is expected to deliver judgment on the dispute surrounding the party’s national chairman and national secretary. Organisers of the planned demonstration warned…