Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged the Federal Government to reverse its planned ban on the production and sale of alcoholic drinks in sachets and small PET bottles, warning that the policy could cripple local industries, erode investments, and push millions of Nigerians into unemployment. In a statement signed by its Director-General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, the association described the move as “counterproductive and economically damaging,” arguing that it runs contrary to previous stakeholder agreements and a resolution by the House of Representatives calling for a review of the decision. According to Ajayi-Kadir, the planned enforcement by the National Agency…

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said he will not compel his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with him, despite political pressure and speculation about a looming rift in the state’s leadership. Diri, who formally joined the APC on November 3 after resigning from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the clarification on Wednesday during the weekly State Executive Council meeting held at the Government House, Yenagoa. Ewhrudjakpo, who remains in the PDP, was present at the meeting. The governor said his approach to governance and politics was guided by engagement and…

Police operatives in Abia State have arrested a 31-year-old student pastor, identified as Moses Ifeayichukwu Gabriel, for allegedly defiling a 15-year-old girl in Umuahia, the state capital. The suspect, said to be a student of a theological institute in Umuahia, was arrested after the victim’s mother lodged a complaint with a local human rights group, Behind the Bars Defenders, which promptly reported the case to the police. Confirming the arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Abia State Command, DCP Maureen Chinaka, said the matter was initially reported at the Ubakala Divisional Police Headquarters in Umuahia South Local Government…

A dismissed officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Polycarp Andrew, has been arraigned before Justice A. Bello of the Kaduna State High Court over the alleged theft of N22 million belonging to the anti-graft agency. Andrew, who once served as the exhibit keeper at the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, is facing a six-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and theft of exhibits under his custody. The former officer was arrested in Taraba State after months on the run, following allegations that he stole more than N22 million in cash exhibits from the agency’s…

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to introduce large-scale farming programmes in correctional centres across the country to improve inmates’ nutrition and support their rehabilitation. The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Folorunsho Adegbesan, who represents Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Waterside Federal Constituency of Ogun State. Presenting the motion during plenary, Adegbesan decried the poor feeding condition in Nigerian prisons, warning that malnutrition had become widespread among inmates due to inadequate and unbalanced diets. He noted that the situation amounted to “cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment,” citing concerns already raised by courts in several African…

Despite modest progress in child survival, Nigeria continues to lose about 850,000 newborns and under-five children to preventable causes every year, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has said. Pate, who spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at the commemoration of the 2025 World Pneumonia and Prematurity Days, described the figure as “a heavy national burden” that calls for urgent, sustained interventions. Represented by the Director of Health Promotion, John Urakpa, the minister said Nigeria had achieved a 45 per cent reduction in under-five mortality over the past two decades, but the rate remains far above…

The Senate has dismissed speculations about an alleged plot to impeach the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, describing the reports as baseless and a deliberate attempt to create tension within the National Assembly. Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), made the clarification during Tuesday’s plenary after media reports quoted Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North) as admitting that there had been “attempts” to remove Akpabio. Bamidele said the statement attributed to Kalu was taken out of context, adding that the Senate remained united under Akpabio’s leadership and would not tolerate distractions. > “From my discussion with Senator Orji Uzor…

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of two National Assembly staff — Mustapha Mohammed and Tijjani Adam Goni — for defrauding job seekers of N4.8 million under the pretext of securing employment for them in federal agencies. According to a statement by the ICPC on Wednesday, the duo tricked two unsuspecting victims, Saifudeen Yakub and Aminu Abubakar, into believing they could help them secure lucrative jobs at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). The anti-graft agency explained that the fraud was uncovered following a petition…

Despite billions of naira reportedly spent annually on social protection schemes, less than half of Nigeria’s social welfare benefits reach the country’s poorest citizens, a new World Bank report has revealed. The report, titled “The State of Social Safety Nets in Nigeria” and released in November 2025, paints a grim picture of inefficiency, poor targeting, and chronic underfunding in Nigeria’s social safety-net programmes — the very schemes designed to cushion vulnerable citizens from extreme poverty. According to the World Bank, only 44 percent of total benefits from government-funded social protection initiatives actually reach the poor, even though the poor account…

The Federal Government on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment to upholding press freedom, declaring that it has not shut down, threatened, or harassed any media organisation since the inception of the present administration. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made this known at the 2025 All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) held at the State House, Abuja. Idris said the administration’s record on media freedom reflected its “conscious commitment” to the constitutional principles of democracy and free expression. “It is significant to note that not a single radio or television station has been threatened, gagged, or shut down by this…