Author: Platform Times Newspaper

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday declared that Nigeria has “finally turned the corner” from years of fiscal mismanagement, insisting that the painful reforms introduced at the start of his administration are now yielding results. In a nationwide broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, Tinubu said his government inherited “a near-collapsed economy” when he assumed office on May 29, 2023, but chose to implement bold and unpopular reforms instead of “business as usual.” “As a new administration, we faced a simple choice: continue business as usual and watch our nation drift, or embark on a courageous, fundamental reform path,”…

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has demanded the immediate removal of the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, accusing him of disrespecting Nigeria and undermining security institutions by boycotting the 65th Independence Day celebration. Speaking on Wednesday at the Sani Abacha Stadium, where the official parade was held, Yusuf expressed outrage that the police chief and his personnel deliberately absented themselves from the state’s commemoration activities. “As you can see, on this historic day marking Nigeria’s independence, the Commissioner of Police decided to pull out of the parade along with his men,” the governor declared. He described Bakori’s conduct…

Troops of the 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army, in collaboration with operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested two men posing as mobile policemen while transporting large quantities of cannabis in Taraba State. The suspects were intercepted at Takum Junction in Wukari Local Government Area following credible intelligence, according to a statement on Wednesday by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Lt. Umar Muhammad. Muhammad said the two men were dressed in police uniforms and were caught with two Toyota Hilux vehicles loaded with cannabis. “Preliminary investigation revealed that none of the occupants are serving policemen.…

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has dismantled a major human trafficking syndicate operating through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, arresting five suspects and rescuing 24 victims in a dramatic sting operation. A statement issued by the information officer of NAPTIP Abuja, Vincent Adekoye stated that the operation, led on Wednesday by NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, lasted six hours and stunned unsuspecting travellers at the airport. Adekoye added that those arrested included a retired senior law enforcement officer, identified as a key member of a trafficking network allegedly operating across the South-West region.…

After two days of intense negotiations, the Federal Government on Tuesday brokered peace between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery over the controversial sack of more than 800 workers. The industrial dispute, which threatened to cripple operations at Africa’s largest refinery, followed PENGASSAN’s directive to members to halt gas supply and withdraw services in protest against what it described as the “unlawful termination of employment” of its members by the Dangote Group. But the company defended the disengagement exercise, insisting it was part of an ongoing organisational restructuring.…

Daud Olatunji  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday assured Nigerians that the country’s most difficult days are behind them, insisting that his reforms are beginning to yield results and that the nation is on the path to renewed prosperity. Delivering a national broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, Tinubu said his administration deliberately chose “the path of tomorrow over the comfort of today” since assuming office in May 2023. According to him, the tough choices, including the removal of fuel subsidies and unification of exchange rates, are now freeing up resources for infrastructure, education, healthcare, and social welfare. “I…

The face-off between organised labour and the management of a frontline refinery deepened on Tuesday as the company accused the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and its allies of seeking to undermine the dignity of over 230 million Nigerians with their actions. In a statement made available to PLATFORM TIMES, the refinery berated TUC and its affiliate unions, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), for allegedly weaponising industrial power to the detriment of national interest. The company insisted that unions, “regardless of size or wealth,” must not…

As Nigeria marked its 65th independence anniversary, Apostle Lawrence Achudume, General Overseer of Victory Life Bible Church International, has called on leaders to govern with empathy and align policies with the realities of ordinary citizens. Speaking with journalists in Abeokuta, the cleric reflected on the nation’s journey since independence, lamenting that despite Nigeria’s vast potential, many citizens are yet to feel the dividends of freedom. “At 65, Nigeria stands as a nation of immense potential – yet the dividends of freedom seem elusive for many ordinary Nigerians,” Achudume said. He noted the irony of Nigerians excelling abroad in diverse fields…

A friend of the late Arise Television anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, has narrated how the promising journalist lost her life in the aftermath of a robbery attack on her Katampe residence in Abuja. Maduagwu, fondly called Sommie, reportedly died after sustaining fatal injuries from a fall while attempting to escape armed robbers who invaded her apartment in the early hours of Tuesday. Eyewitness accounts revealed that the gang, numbering about 15, stormed Unique Apartments, Plot 1706 Katampe, at about 2:30 a.m., killing one vigilante guard who resisted them and tying up four others. They went on to raid over 10 flats…

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, on Tuesday declared that his enthronement had finally marked the end of his political journey, stressing that his primary duty henceforth is to serve humanity with fairness and justice. The monarch made this known at his Bodija residence in Ibadan while receiving a powerful delegation led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who visited to congratulate him on his recent coronation. Atiku, accompanied by former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu; former Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke; and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, apologised for their…