Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Abeokuta Passport Office has launched a new system that drastically reduces the waiting time for passport issuance to just one week after biometric data capture.  PLATFORM TIMES reports that the innovation, led by Passport Control Officer ACI Sunday Olubiyi, aligns with the directives of the Honourable Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda for enhanced public service delivery. Historically, Nigerian passport applicants have faced prolonged waiting periods, often enduring months of delays and uncertainty.  However, the new system at the Abeokuta Passport Office ensures that applicants receive their passports in a significantly shorter time…

The Federal Government has  spent over ₦633.30 billion on electricity subsidies in the first quarter of 2024, representing a significant increase of 150.5% from the ₦252.76 billion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023. PLATFORM TIMES reports that this  substantial rise, detailed in the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC) quarterly report, also surpasses the total subsidy of ₦628.61 billion paid throughout the entire year of 2023. A detailed breakdown of the subsidy payments reveals a progressive increase over the quarters of 2023, culminating in the large outlay seen at the start of 2024.  Specifically, the government spent ₦36.02 billion…

Members of the minority caucus of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, staged a walkout in protest of a bill amending the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act.  The bill sought to increase the limit of advances from the CBN to the Federal Government from 5% to a maximum of 10%, a move that has stirred significant controversy. The proposed amendment, known as the Ways and Means, allows the CBN to provide short-term financing to the Federal Government to cover budget shortfalls.  However, opposition lawmakers, led by Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda, voiced strong objections to the increase.  Chinda argued that…

Kamal Saka-Odunjo, a Doctorate candidate on a Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) scholarship at Girne American University, Cyprus, accuses TETFund officials of embezzling funds meant for his education.  Nigerian PhD candidate Kamal Saka-Odunjo accused TETFund officials of embezzling his N10 million scholarship grant.  The grant, which was intended to support his doctoral studies in Cyprus, was allegedly mishandled, leaving him and approximately 600 other Nigerian scholars stranded and unable to continue their education abroad. Saka-Odunjo, said he  began his programme in 2021, describing a series of administrative failures and financial irregularities that he believes are part of a broader…

…Urges Youths To Adopt Dialogue To Resolve Issues Nigerian top – notch property developer, Ambassador (Dr) Babatunde Adeyemo, has been listed among the ‘Ogun State 50 Top Role Models.’ Ambassador Adeyemo who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer CEO of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, was listed alongside a prominent politician and the immediate past Nigeria’s High Commission to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Tunji Isola and Head of Service (HoS), Mr. Kehinde Onasanya, as notable role models by the Prestige Newspaper – one of the surviving and oldest modern community newsreel in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The “Ogun State Top…

By Ismael Adebare Ayinla. “You can be everything! You can be the infinite number of things that people are…”- KESHA As if playing a script of his degree and doctoral courses, Economics; Dr. Idris journey through undergraduate to the pinnacle of his educational degree was all about WANTS that were usually out of reach, NEEDS that were never affordable, RESOURCES that were scarce and never available; and COSTS that were usually huge enough to drain his pocket and relegate him to perpetual bankruptcy! These were the hurdles he needed to cross and the wilderness he had to navigate to reach…

Nigerian music legend and iconic artist, Ms. Onyeka Onwenu, has passed away at the age of 72.  The celebrated songstress, known for her hit song “One Love Keeps Us Together,” reportedly collapsed and died at Reddington Hospital in Lagos after performing at the 80th birthday celebration of Mrs. Stella Okoli, the founder of Emzor Pharmaceuticals. The tragic incident occurred shortly after Onwenu delivered a vibrant performance at the event.  Witnesses described the moment as surreal, noting that Onwenu had just finished her set and was returning to her seat when she suddenly slumped.  “I have never seen anything like this…

The Coalition of Ado-Odo/Igbesa Indigenous Youths has called on Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun to address what they describe as a longstanding imbalance in the representation within the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government.  The youth group alleges that the Ota axis has disproportionately dominated the leadership of the local government at the expense of the Ado-Odo/Igbesa constituency. In a statement signed by the group’s Coordinator, Comrade Temitope Ayobami Taiwo, the youths highlighted the lack of equitable rotation of the chairmanship position between the two areas that comprise the local government.  According to Taiwo, since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, the…

Tension remains high in the Ogbeozoma community in Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State after a violent attack by a notorious criminal gang resulted in the death of a policeman and the destruction of property worth billions of naira.  The incident, which occurred on July 22, 2024, has left the community in fear and calling for urgent intervention from Governor Sheriff Oborevwori. In a petition dated July 27, 2024, and signed by their counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the residents detailed the harrowing experience of the attack.  The gang, reportedly arriving in about 15 Hilux vehicles, was armed with…

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has disclosed that the military may be called in if the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests escalate  beyond control.  Egbetokun said this during a Zoom meeting attended by prominent human rights lawyers, including Femi Falana (SAN) and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), representatives from the Nigerian Bar Association, civil society organizations, and the Take-It-Back Movement.  The gist of the  meeting, held on Tuesday afternoon, was obtaining he’d by PLATFORM TIMES. Egbetokun emphasized that the decision to involve the military would only be made if the protests, scheduled for August, pose a significant threat to public safety.…