Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Owena Press Limited, publishers of The Hope Newspapers, Mr. Kayode Fasua, has dismissed reports accusing him of shielding age falsifiers within the company and covering up the disappearance of two Hilux vans, describing the allegations as “reckless lies from envious detractors.” Fasua, who was appointed head of the state-owned media organisation in October 2024, said in a statement issued in Akure on Sunday that his focus had been on repositioning the newspaper for efficiency and growth, not on shielding wrongdoing. “I couldn’t have shielded age or certificate falsifiers because I willingly set up an age…

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has urged Nigerians to see the true measure of freedom not in personal gain but in service to humanity, stressing that independence becomes meaningful only when used to build, bless and uplift others. Abiodun stated this on Sunday at the interdenominational church service held at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Ake, Abeokuta, to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary. The governor, represented by his deputy, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, said the celebration should rekindle faith in the nation’s future. He noted that Nigeria’s founding fathers envisioned “a nation where no man is oppressed, where opportunities abound…

The Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), Abeokuta Chapter, has applauded the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) for clamping down on more than 15 companies in Ogun State over alleged violations of environmental laws. The society described the crackdown as a “bold and commendable step” to safeguard public health and restore environmental integrity in one of Nigeria’s most industrialized states. In a statement signed by its Chairman, Alhaji (Chief) Jamiu Badmos (MNES), the society noted that Ogun State, home to numerous manufacturing and processing industries, has over the years faced mounting environmental pressure from industrial activities. “Many of these…

Traditional rulers of Ifon-Osun, Erin-Osun, and Ilobu communities in Osun State on Monday publicly resolved to bury decades of animosity and embrace lasting peace. The Olufon of Ifon-Osun, Oba Peter Oluwole Akinyooye; the Elerin of Erin-Osun, Oba Yussuf Kolawole Omoloye; and the Ilobu of Ilobu, Oba Ashiru Olatoye Olaniyan, pledged reconciliation at a stakeholders’ engagement organised by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Osun State Command, to mark the 2025 International Day of Peace. In an emotional moment that drew applause from dignitaries, the monarchs shook hands and embraced, signaling an end to recurring communal clashes that had…

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has pledged to deepen Nigeria’s non-interest finance market in partnership with Metropolitan Skills Limited and Metropolitan Law Firm, a move stakeholders have described as a historic step in positioning the country as Africa’s hub for Islamic finance. The commitment was unveiled in Abuja on Saturday during the AICIF 2025 Pitch Competition, one of the pre-conference activities leading to the 7th African International Conference on Islamic Finance (AICIF) scheduled for November. The event brought together regulators, innovators, investors, and entrepreneurs under the theme: “Africa Emerging: A Prosperous and Inclusive Outlook.” Speaking at the event, Ummahani…

An advocacy group, Aqsah Nigeria, on Saturday rallied support for Palestine in Abeokuta, Ogun State, demanding justice over what it described as genocide by the Israeli government. The event, held under the Sapon bridge to mark the annual Aqsah Day, drew a large gathering of Muslim faithfuls, activists, and sympathisers who chanted solidarity songs such as “Free Palestine… from the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free.” Speeches, prayers, and lectures dominated the programme, all highlighting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and other occupied territories. Delivering his keynote address, the Chairman of the occasion and Chief Executive Officer of…

The $20bn Dangote Petroleum Refinery has been thrown into a deepening labour crisis following an order by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) directing its members across major oil and gas firms to cut off crude oil and gas supply to the facility. The union’s directive, issued on Saturday, came after the dismissal of about 800 workers allegedly sacked for joining PENGASSAN. The refinery was also accused of importing illegal expatriates and engaging in discriminatory wage practices. According to PENGASSAN, while Nigerian engineers at the refinery earn about N385,000 monthly, their Indian counterparts reportedly receive…

Edo-based activist, Precious Oruche, popularly known as Mama Pee, has been detained by the police after a dramatic confrontation with the factional National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The incident, which has since trended on social media, took a violent turn on Friday when the activist accused Abure of “frustrating the lives of Nigerians” as he prepared to board a Max Air flight to Benin. In a viral video, Mama Pee could be heard confronting the LP chair: “Are you not Julius Abure? You have destroyed the Labour Party, and…

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has accused the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals of deliberately transferring its members, including Nigerian engineers, to other subsidiaries of the Dangote Group in what it described as a ploy to cripple union activities at the multibillion-dollar plant. In a petition to the Lagos Zonal Council of PENGASSAN, the refinery’s branch executives alleged that engineers who joined the association had been redeployed to Dangote Sugar and other companies under conditions the union described as punitive and unconstitutional. Signed by Branch Chairman, Abdulfatai Muhammed, and Secretary, Eseoghene Choice,…

The Ondo State Police Command has rescued a four-year-old girl, Jesinta Kingsley, who was sold to a child-trafficking syndicate for N3.7 million and later found in Asaba, Delta State. The victim, daughter of Mr. Sunday Kingsley of Alagbaka Extension, Akure, was declared missing while in the care of her mother, Sunday Happiness. The incident was initially reported to the police, leading to the arraignment of some suspects before a Family Magistrate Court. They were later granted bail. However, a major breakthrough came when the distraught father spotted his daughter in Asaba and immediately alerted the police. Acting on the tip-off,…