Author: Platform Times Newspaper

…Urges State To Fund Urban Development Through Land Swap Daud Olatunji  A renowned urban planner and former  Head of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Lagos, Prof. Leke Odunwaye, has warned that Ogun State stands the risk of chaotic and uncoordinated development if it fails to implement comprehensive settlement planning. Speaking with journalists after delivering a lecture at the Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Ogun State chapter, Prof. Odunwaye said the state’s rapid growth demands urgent and structured planning to prevent future urban crises. According to him, “Ogun State is developing…

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected that Nigeria’s debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio will decline steadily over the next two years — from 36.4 percent in 2025 to 35 percent in 2026 — following recent economic adjustments and policy reforms. The projection is contained in the IMF’s Fiscal Monitor Report released during the ongoing 2025 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C. According to the Fund, Nigeria’s debt ratio, which stood at 39.4 percent in the first quarter of 2025 after the rebasing of its GDP by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), is expected to drop further to…

…Blames Internal Sabotage, Exonerates Tinubu Of PDP Woes Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a “sick party without a cure,” warning that at least three more governors under its platform are on the verge of defecting. Fayose, who spoke on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme on Wednesday, said the party’s internal crises have reached a point where its presidential and governorship tickets now hold little or no political value. “Let me tell you, there are three more governors that will leave soon,” the outspoken former governor said. “When they go, only…

A fresh crisis has erupted in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State following a heated confrontation between the council chairman, Hon. Tope Omolayo, and members of the legislative council over allegations of financial mismanagement and abuse of office. At a parliamentary sitting held on Wednesday, the councillors accused Omolayo of financial improprieties, violation of the statutory budget and internally generated revenue (IGR) guidelines, disrespect to traditional rulers, and other acts they described as “misconduct unbecoming of his office.” The sitting, presided over by the Leader of the Owo Legislative Council, Hon. Doyin Adebayo, resolved to suspend Omolayo pending the…

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed disappointment that most of the developmental projects he initiated during his tenure as Governor of Bayelsa State were abandoned after he left office. Jonathan, who spoke on Wednesday at the commissioning of Best Western Plus Hotel, a luxury hospitality facility at Oxbow Lake, Yenagoa, said it had become a recurring problem in Nigeria for incoming administrations to discontinue projects started by their predecessors — even when such projects were funded with public resources. “The problem of governance at the state level is that when governors leave office, their successors don’t want to continue with…

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested two dismissed officers, identified as Barry Donald and Victor Onyedikachi Godwin, for allegedly impersonating serving personnel of the agency and defrauding unsuspecting members of the public. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the DSS said the two men—who had been previously dismissed from service—were apprehended after continued warnings to the public about their illegal activities. The agency said: “The public is hereby notified that these culprits have been apprehended and will face prosecution in accordance with the law.” It recalled that disclaimers had earlier been issued to alert Nigerians that both Donald…

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, on Wednesday, formally resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), marking the end of his long association with the opposition party. The governor announced his resignation during a cabinet meeting held at the Government House in Yenagoa, the state capital. “Today, I have formally resigned my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party for very obvious reasons,” Diri declared before members of the state executive council and top aides. Although he did not elaborate on the “obvious reasons,” sources within the government hinted that the decision may not be unconnected with ongoing political realignments…

A Kano State High Court has sentenced a local football coach, Hayatu Mohammed, to eight years imprisonment for sodomising one of his players on two different occasions. Mohammed, a resident of Sanka Quarters in Dala Local Government Area, was found guilty on two counts of sexual assault after the court held that the prosecution had successfully established the case against him. Delivering judgment, the presiding judge ruled that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, leaving the court with no option but to convict the defendant. According to court proceedings, Prosecuting Counsel, Barrister Ibrahim Arif Garba, called five witnesses,…

Daud Olatunji  The atmosphere was charged with emotions, applause, and admiration on Wednesday as the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ogun State, rolled out the drums to celebrate the end of tenure of its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwole Sikiru Banjo, who bowed out after five years of transformative leadership. The event, organised by the College of Agriculture and Hospitality Management, held at the TETFUND 2012 Hall, was graced by a galaxy of dignitaries including academics, administrators, and students from within and outside the university community — all united in paying glowing tributes to a man widely described as “a…

… 5,000 staff promoted, 1,000 interns offered permanent jobs in Ogun education sector The Ogun State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare, professional growth, and ethical standards of teaching and non-teaching staff across public secondary schools in the state. Chairman of the Ogun State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Apostle ‘Biodun Sanyaolu, stated this in Abeokuta while unveiling a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening accountability and excellence in the education sector. Sanyaolu lauded Governor Dapo Abiodun for his continued investment in education, describing him as “the most teacher-friendly governor” who has made education the “engine of transformation” in…