Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Emmanuel Oludare The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Ogun Chapter, and the Human Rights and Grassroots Development Society (HRGDS) have expressed their  support for the Ogun State House of Assembly’s recent resolution directing the immediate suspension of Oba Taofeek Owolabi, the Olu of Obafe, following persistent allegations of land grabbing and intimidation of residents in his domain. In a joint statement, Comrade Onifade Funmilayo, State Chairman of CDHR, and Comrade Alli Adesina, State Secretary of CDHR, praised the Assembly for its decisive action against the embattled monarch, who has long been accused of terrorising landowners within his…

The President of the Association of Resident Doctors, Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Abeokuta, Dr. Abdul Gafar Kolade, has called for the immediate release of Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, a Senior Registrar at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, and her nephew, Abdul-Mugniy Folaranmi, who have been held captive for the past seven months. Kolade said this on Wednesday, during a peaceful protest  held at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital Aro, Abeokuta.  Dr  Kolade expressed deep concern over the continued captivity of Dr. Popoola and her young nephew.  He emphasised that the prolonged detention of the medical professional and her family member has not only inflicted immense…

By: Habeeb Olokooba It was a breezy June morning. The previous day’s downpour refreshed the air. Abdulwasiu Dada, a bike man in his late forties, pedalled through the refreshing breeze as his sole source of income, reliant on his trusty Bajaj bike. Once a small-scale farmer, Dada reminisced about his past life. He recalled the fateful day that changed everything: like many farmers eager to sell their harvest, he had loaded his precious yams onto a tray, securely fastened them to the back of this Bajaj bike, and set off for the ‘Owode market. Approaching the bustling marking, tragedy struck…

The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and its Ogun state counterpart, on Tuesday, held a sensitisation workshop against open defecation along the Lagos/Ogun state corridor. The sensitisation programme started at OPIC inward Lagos to the end of Otedola bridge. Speaking at the event, Dr Tunde Ajayi, the general manager, LASEPA, described open defecation as a problem that had bedevilled communities globally. Mr Ajayi said the health implication of open defecation included cholera, adding that the act demeaned the dignity of the human person. “We think that this kind of thing should not be found around…

Disturbed by the growing insecurity in the Akoko area of Ondo state, a group of concerned women staged a peaceful protest, with some of them partially naked, to condemn the ongoing violent killings and kidnappings by suspected herdsmen. Mostly elderly, the women marched through the streets to express their distress over the frequent killings, kidnappings, and destruction of their farmlands by armed bandits. The protest took place shortly after a farmer, Sunday Ayeni, was brutally murdered on his land following a disagreement with herdsmen who had invaded and destroyed his crops. Mr Ayeni’s lifeless body, along with his hunting…

The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has issued a  warning to states that have failed to utilize the machines distributed by the federal government for women empowerment, threatening legal action and retrieval of the equipment if they remain idle. Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of a two-day capacity-building workshop for commissioners of women affairs from the 36 states, Mrs. Kennedy-Ohanenye expressed her dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in deploying the machines intended to boost women’s entrepreneurship and socio-economic development. The workshop, organized by the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (MBNCWD) in collaboration…

The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies has demanded an explanation from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) regarding a financial discrepancy in its 2023 operations.  Despite generating N34 billion, the examination body reported an expenditure of N40 billion, raising concerns over a N6 billion deficit. During an investigative hearing held in Abuja on Tuesday, the committee directed WAEC to submit all its bank statements from 2018 to 2023 within one week.  PLATFORM TIMES reporte that the hearing is part of a broader inquiry into the financial management of the council. The committee, chaired by Hon. Oboku Oforji,…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has announced the discovery of 63 illegal refineries and 19 illegal pipeline connections across several states within a week.  This revelation highlights the ongoing struggle to combat crude oil theft and environmental degradation in Nigeria’s oil-rich regions. The discoveries were made in Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Rivers, and Imo states, areas notorious for illegal oil activities.  According to a statement posted on the NNPC Ltd’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, a total of 177 incidents were reported from various sources, underscoring the widespread nature of the problem. Among the 177 reported…

Former Senior Counsellor and Chairman of the Kaduna State Economic Development Council, Chief Jimi Adebisi Lawal,has dismissed reports suggesting that he is under watch by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for failing to respond to an invitation concerning a purported N11 billion light rail project. In a statement issued by his media office on Tuesday, Lawal described the reports, particularly one from The Nation newspaper, as baseless and malicious.  The statement clarified that Lawal had not evaded  any summons and had maintained open communication with the ICPC. According to the statement, Lawal missed a call…

Daud Olatunji The Ogun State House of Assembly has passed a resolution urging the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), to prosecute the Olu of Obafemi, Oba Taofeek Kayode Owolabi, under the State Anti-Land Grabbing Law, 2016.  The resolution also recommends the immediate suspension of the monarch by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the State Council of Obas. This decision follows allegations that Oba Owolabi engaged in activities capable of disrupting peace in Agboro-Olatunde village, located in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state. PLATFORM TIMES reports that the  Assembly’s resolution was based…