Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has issued a stark warning regarding the country’s judiciary, citing the staggering number of unresolved cases and the lack of timely judgments from some judges as serious threats to judicial integrity. Speaking at the third annual National Judicial Council (NJC) conference on judges’ performance evaluation in Abuja on Tuesday, Kekere-Ekun emphasized that public confidence in the judiciary is at risk if these alarming trends continue. In her address, the CJN highlighted the concerning backlog, revealing that as of the first quarter of 2024, Nigeria’s superior courts of record—excluding the Supreme Court—had accumulated a…

The Oyo State Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have renewed calls for the adoption of proper handwashing practices as a key measure to prevent the spread of diseases. This advocacy was made at an event held in Okolo, Ibarapa-East Local Government, to mark the 2024 Global Handwashing Day, themed “Why are Clean Hands Still Important?” Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Oyo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (OYORUWASSA), Mr. Babalola Afobaje, stressed the life-saving importance of handwashing with soap, labeling it as an essential health practice. According to Afobaje, consistent handwashing helps prevent…

A dramatic scene unfolded on Tuesday at the Abaji cattle market in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, when a suspected thief abandoned a stolen ram and fled after spotting its rightful owner in the crowd. The incident, which took place around 11:12 a.m., involved a yet-to-be-identified man who allegedly stole the ram from a Fulani settlement in Adagba village, within the council area. According to an eyewitness, Shuaibu Ibrahim, the suspect had taken the ram earlier in the day and brought it to the market in an attempt to sell it. Ibrahim recounted how the ram’s owner, upon discovering one…

The National Industrial Court in Ibadan has ordered Nestlé Nigeria PLC to pay N10 million as compensation to an employee, Ilesanmi Temokun, who suffered severe injuries on the company’s premises due to negligence. This landmark ruling underscores the importance of workplace safety and employers’ responsibility in ensuring a hazard-free environment. Justice John Peters, in delivering the judgment on Tuesday, affirmed that Nestlé Nigeria PLC was negligent, leading to the accident that left Temokun with long-term health issues. The incident occurred on September 4, 2021, when an unsecured iron locker fell on the 35-year-old employee, causing serious injuries, including spinal shock.…

In a heated Senate plenary session on Tuesday, Senator Sumaila Abdulrahman-Kawu (NNPP, Kano South) stirred controversy by daring his fellow lawmakers to swear on the Quran or Bible if they do not support drug abusers in their constituencies. The senator made this bold statement while contributing to the debate on the second reading of “A Bill for an Act to Establish National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation,” sponsored by Senator Rufa’i Hanga (NNPP, Kano Central). The bill, which aims to establish a national institute to combat drug abuse, raise awareness, and rehabilitate drug users, seeks to further tackle the…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed its involvement in the controversial invasion of Urban Radio 94.5FM in Enugu State on Monday, October 14, 2024. The raid was aimed at apprehending Favour Ekoh, the host of the station’s Prime Time program, who is being investigated for her alleged role in a Ponzi scheme amounting to N700 million. According to a statement released by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Dele Oyewale, Ekoh is implicated in defrauding around 50 victims through a scheme called “Life Trading,” orchestrated by a company known as Leverage Index Limited. The victims…

By Adedoyin Oguntade Governor Dapo Abiodun, the governor of Ogun State, paid a visit to the failed sections of the Benin-Sagamu road close to the tollgate on Monday, September 30th. He stated that the road, being a major route from Lagos through Ogun State to the South-East and the South-South parts of the country, has caused inconvenience to commuters due to its poor state. This visit follows the publication of a special report by Platform Times highlighting the poor state of the road despite its allocation of funds in the Federal Government’s budget. Governor Abiodun explained that the reconstruction of…

Daud Olatunji The House of Representatives has expressed grave concern over Nigeria’s poor implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, following alarming statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) that place Nigeria’s population of persons with disabilities (PWDs) at 20 million. This figure represents approximately 3.9% of the global PWD population of 195 million, underscoring the urgent need for reform and better protection of the rights of PWDs in the country. During an investigative hearing organized by the House Committee on Disability Matters in Abuja, lawmakers decried the continued neglect of the 2018 Disability Act by…

The internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deepened, with the faction loyal to the party’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun, threatening to arrest any individuals claiming to hold the chairmanship position without legal authority. This threat comes amid growing tensions between rival factions within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC). Ibrahim Mangu, the party’s Deputy National Secretary, issued the warning during a press conference in Abuja on Monday. He declared that security agencies would be deployed to enforce a court order recognizing Damagun as the legitimate acting national chair until the party’s national convention scheduled for December…

Phebe Falodun This is as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has filed a petition against the conduct and declaration of the September 21 Governorship Election in Edo by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The PDP party chairman in the state, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, said this while addressing journalists on Monday in Benin City, the Edo. According to him, inspite of antics of the All Progressives Congress and INEC to frustrate the PDP, the party successfully filed the petition. He noted that the issues they faced were in the course of the party enforcing a court order, which granted PDP request…