Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted claims circulating on social media that its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has died in a London hospital. In a press statement issued on Saturday, December 14, 2024, by Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, the Commission described the rumour, which emerged on Monday, December 9, 2024, as fake news aimed at misleading the public. The statement affirmed that Prof. Yakubu is alive, hale, and hearty, adding that he has not travelled to London in the past two years. It further noted that the chairman participated in an interactive…

Daud Olatunji The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has sounded the alarm over the Nigeria Tax Bill (NTB) 2024, currently under review by the National Assembly, describing it as a threat to the survival of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). ASUU, in a press release signed by its President, Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed grave concerns over the potential abrogation of the Education Tax, a critical funding source for TETFund, and called for decisive intervention by lawmakers. The proposed tax regime, as outlined in Section 59(3) of the bill, allocates only 50% of the Education Tax (referred to as the…

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has strongly refuted allegations that it disbursed N325 million to the Adamawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to finance the party’s activities. The claim, made by the APC Woman Leader in Adamawa State, Mrs. Patricia Yakubu, alleged that TETFund had been paying the party N25 million monthly since October 2023, a sum reportedly used for running party affairs within and outside the state. In a petition addressed to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Mrs. Yakubu accused the state party leadership of misappropriating party funds amounting to N500 million. She…

Despite registering over 500 million children under the age of five in the last five years, about 150 million children remain unregistered, rendering them invisible to government systems, a new United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report reveals. The report, titled “Right Start in Life: Global Levels and Trends in Birth Registration,” highlights progress in securing legal identities for children worldwide but underscores persistent gaps, especially in low-income regions. According to UNICEF, while global birth registration rates have improved from 75 percent in 2019 to 77 percent in 2024, disparities remain stark. Sub-Saharan Africa trails behind with only 51 percent of…

The World Bank has called for a monumental $30 trillion investment to ensure the global net-zero emissions targets are met by 2050, warning that failing to mobilize the necessary capital could jeopardize decarbonization efforts in critical industries. In its “Net-Zero Industry Tracker 2024 Edition” report, released on Friday, the financial institution stressed the urgent need for increased funding to facilitate the transition to low-carbon alternatives in sectors such as cement, steel, aviation, and heavy manufacturing. These industries, deemed hard-to-abate due to their energy-intensive nature and limited access to decarbonization technologies, play vital roles in the global economy. “To remain on…

The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) on Thursday disbursed a total of N1.727 trillion to the Federal Government, states, and local government areas as revenue for November 2024. This was disclosed in a communiqué issued after the FAAC meeting held in Abuja. The communiqué revealed that the distributable revenue consisted of statutory revenue of N455.354 billion, Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N585.700 billion, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N15.046 billion, and Exchange Difference revenue of N671.392 billion. The total gross revenue available for November was N3.143 trillion. However, deductions for cost of collection and transfers, interventions, and…

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has shed light on why President Bola Tinubu nominated former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to the Federal Executive Council, despite his political affiliation with the opposition. Speaking at a book launch marking Wike’s 57th birthday in Port Harcourt, Akpabio extolled the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as a dedicated and results-driven public officer whose track record earned him the appointment. Akpabio, represented by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, praised Wike’s leadership credentials, noting his performance in previous roles, including as a Local Government Chairman, Chief of Staff to…

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) recorded a 13.83% increase in revenue, generating N1.7 billion from passengers and cargo in the third quarter (Q3) of 2024, according to the latest report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) The report, released on Friday, showed that the revenue was a notable rise compared to the N1.49 billion recorded in the same period last year. A significant portion of the earnings came from goods and cargo transportation, which generated N412.57 million, a 142% increase from N217.6 million in Q3 2023. However, other receipts dropped sharply by 70.84% to N34.7 million, compared to N119.22…

Daud Olatunji The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Tajudeen Abbas, has emphasized the need for robust support to strengthen the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in its efforts to combat human trafficking and related crimes across Nigeria. Speaking during a courtesy visit by NAPTIP’s Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, Abbas commended the agency’s strides under Bello’s leadership and pledged legislative backing to bolster its operations. Abbas noted that the House of Representatives would consider amendments to the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015,…

A 44-year-old man, Obinna Makata, has been arraigned before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly assaulting his mother, Euphemia Makata, and committing other related offences. The defendant, who appeared before Magistrate L.K.J. Layeni on Friday, faced charges of assault, theft, breach of peace, and issuing threats to life. According to the prosecutor, Simon Uche, the offences were committed over a period spanning from January 2020 to November this year. The court was informed that Makata allegedly stole N48,000 from his mother, a sum reportedly meant for rent. He was also accused of physically assaulting her and threatening to…