Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Federal Government has issued a stern warning to states opting to reduce electricity tariffs: be prepared to shoulder the burden of the resulting subsidy. This position follows the landmark move by the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC), which recently approved a reduction in Band A tariff—from N209/kWh to N160—for residents of Enugu State. The new rate, effective August 1, has triggered nationwide debate, drawing mixed reactions from industry stakeholders. The Special Adviser on Strategic Communications to the Minister of Power, Bolaji Tunji, told PLATFORM TIMES that any state seeking to lower electricity costs must also commit to funding…

The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, has raised alarm over Nigeria’s massive annual loss of $18 billion to illicit financial flows, describing it as a major threat to the country’s economic stability. Adedeji made this disclosure on Tuesday at a national conference on Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) hosted by the FIRS in Abuja. He said the loss is largely driven by aggressive tax avoidance schemes orchestrated by multinational corporations and aided by outdated tax treaties. “Like many other resource-constrained nations, we lose billions—$18 billion every year—through illicit conduits,” Adedeji said. “This is more…

Eleven years after the abduction that shocked the world, parents of the remaining 87 Chibok schoolgirls still held by Boko Haram have renewed calls for urgent government action to bring their daughters home, while mourning the late former President Muhammadu Buhari. In a heartfelt statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Yana Galang and Zannah Mohammed on behalf of the Association of the Parents of the Missing Chibok Girls, the parents acknowledged Buhari’s role in securing the release of 103 girls during his administration. They also urged the current government to “move beyond rhetoric” and take concrete steps to secure…

In a bold legislative push aimed at revitalising Nigeria’s public education and health sectors, the House of Representatives has commenced deliberation on a bill that seeks to prohibit public and civil servants, along with their immediate families, from using private schools and hospitals. Titled the Private Institutions and Health Care Service Providers (Prohibition) Bill, 2025, the proposed law, sponsored by Hon. Amobi Ogah (Abia), scaled its second reading during Tuesday’s plenary. Ogah, addressing journalists after the session, said the legislation aims to eliminate conflict of interest and compel government officials to fix and rely on the very public institutions they…

Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, has inducted 86 new Medical Laboratory Scientists into the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), with a strong call for innovation, ethical practice, and technological advancement in the nation’s healthcare system. The 13th induction ceremony, held at the university’s 600-seater Medical School Auditorium, brought together top academics and medical professionals who challenged the graduating class to uphold the highest standards of professional integrity and contribute meaningfully to national health development. Delivering the keynote address, Professor Augustine Onyeaghala, a Professor of Chemical Pathology and Toxicology at Chrisland University, emphasised the importance of innovation, regulatory compliance,…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday intensified its case against former Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his former Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, over the alleged diversion of N5.78 billion meant for Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) projects. At the resumed hearing before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, the anti-graft agency presented its sixth and seventh prosecution witnesses, along with additional documentary evidence aimed at establishing financial misconduct during Ahmed’s tenure. Suleiman Oluwadare Ishola, who served as the state’s Accountant-General from 2013 to 2019, testified that officials of the Kwara…

Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has raised the alarm over the continent’s growing dependence on imported substandard fuel, warning that Africa is losing an estimated $90 billion annually to refined petroleum products it can produce locally. Speaking at the ongoing West African Refined Fuel Conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Dangote condemned the influx of cheap, often toxic petroleum products into African markets and criticised the fragmented fuel standards that hinder regional trade. “Africa is increasingly becoming a dumping ground for petroleum products that wouldn’t pass quality standards in Europe or North America,” Dangote stated.…

The Federal Government has defended the two-year delay in appointing ambassadors to Nigerian missions abroad, describing criticisms from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as “baseless” and a deliberate attempt to politicise the country’s foreign policy. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, said the delay was part of President Bola Tinubu’s effort to reform Nigeria’s foreign service and ensure that future ambassadorial appointments are based on merit, competence, and national interest. This response came after Bolaji Abdullahi, interim national publicity secretary of the ADC,…

Daud  Olatunji  A prominent traditionalist and convener of the United Premier Movement (UPM), Hon. (Chief) Olalekan Shoyinka, has urged the International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) to abandon its legal battle against the Ogun State Government and focus instead on safeguarding the integrity of Yoruba traditional institutions. Shoyinka, popularly known as Ayinla Egba, described the ICIR’s move to sue the state government over the Islamic burial of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, as a misplaced priority and a distraction from deeper cultural challenges facing the Yoruba monarchy. In a strongly worded statement made available to PLATFORM…

A Professor of Science Education, Adekunle Oladipupo Bamiro, has called for a sweeping reform of Chemistry education in Nigeria, urging the government and stakeholders to abandon outdated syllabi in favour of curricula that reflect the demands of the 21st century. Prof. Bamiro, who is also the Director of the Centre for Improvement of Teaching and Learning (CITEL) and Head of the Department of Chemical Sciences at Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, made the call while delivering the institution’s 35th Inaugural Lecture, themed: “Bridging the Gap: Rethinking Curriculum in Chemistry Education for the 21st Century.” Speaking at the TETFund…