Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Federal Ministry of Works has proposed to spend over N500m in the 2026 fiscal year on empowerment programmes including the training of hairdressers and make-up artists, distribution of grinding machines, motorcycles and mini-vans, as well as anti-drug abuse campaigns across several states of the federation. Details of the controversial allocations are contained in the 2026 Appropriation Bill obtained from the Budget Office of the Federation on Thursday. A breakdown of the document shows that the projects, spread across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, are largely constituency-based and fall outside the traditional mandate of the Ministry of Works, which is responsible…

…Alaafin absent As Gov  Kicks Off Rotational Leadership Of Obas’ Council Daud Olatunji Governor Seyi Makinde on Thursday stirred fresh reactions across Oyo State as he named the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, as the inaugural chairman of the newly constituted Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, sidelining expectations surrounding the Alaafin of Oyo. The development followed the formal inauguration of the reconstituted council at the House of Chiefs Hall, Secretariat, Ibadan, in line with the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs (Further Amendments) Law, 2025, recently passed by the state House of Assembly. Under the new…

Widows of fallen Nigerian military personnel on Thursday decried what they described as years of neglect and abandonment by relevant authorities, even as the country marked the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day. The widows, who spoke during the wreath-laying ceremony held at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Victoria Island, Lagos, said the worsening economic situation and rising cost of living had compounded their hardship, years after losing their husbands in active service. Coordinator of the Military Widows Association, Navy Town, Mrs Helen Amodu, lamented that the group life insurance of her late husband, Capt. F. E. Amodu, had remained…

Former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has warned that the Federal Government’s ongoing economic reforms risk collapsing if Nigerians continue to endure hardship without tangible relief, stressing that public support can only be sustained when policies translate into improved living conditions. Sani gave the warning while speaking on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese, Ijebu, where he said reforms, no matter how well-intentioned, would fail if citizens are left to absorb their pains without adequate cushioning. He argued that while policies such as the removal of fuel subsidy were economically inevitable, the government mishandled…

Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, has announced plans to graduate 5,808 students, including 147 First Class degree holders, at its 35th Convocation Ceremonies for the 2024/2025 academic session. The week-long ceremonies will hold at the university’s main campus in Ago-Iwoye from Thursday, January 22 to Saturday, January 31, 2026, with the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ayodeji Johnson Agboola, presiding over the events. Activities will commence on Thursday, January 22, with a press conference at the University Senate Chamber, followed by an undergraduate graduating class meeting with the Vice-Chancellor. Other highlights lined up include a health walk for staff and students, a special…

The Ogun State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has condemned the ongoing electronic membership registration being conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as a deceptive political exercise aimed at masking what it called the failure of the Dapo Abiodun administration. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Ogun LP Chairman, Chief Oluwabukola Soyoye, said the APC’s statewide e-registration was “a digital scam designed to mislead the public into believing that the ruling party still enjoys popular support in Ogun State.” Soyoye alleged that contrary to the APC’s claim that the exercise was a routine membership registration…

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has arrested a Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) tanker driver who allegedly struck and killed a commercial motorcyclist and his passenger along Epe–Ijebu Road in Epe, Lagos. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr. Sola Giwa, confirmed the incident, which occurred at Pokia Junction, inward Araga, during a statement on Wednesday. Preliminary investigations revealed that the motorcyclist, carrying a male passenger, was riding against traffic on a prohibited one-way route when the tanker, reportedly speeding, collided with them. Both victims died instantly. “This is a clear violation of traffic laws,” Giwa said.…

The Federal Government has dismissed concerns over alleged alterations to Nigeria’s newly passed tax laws, insisting that the few changes made will not affect key provisions, including tax rates, filing deadlines, and the overall tax burden. Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Tax Reform Committee, made this clarification on Wednesday in Lagos while delivering a keynote address at the 2026 Economic Outlook organized by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) as part of its 60th anniversary celebrations. “The issue of alterations is overstated. There are a few items that shouldn’t affect the main elements of the law—nothing about…

Lagos residents are facing mounting health challenges as the strike by health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) enters its second month, crippling public hospitals and forcing patients to seek costly alternatives. Since the strike began on December 3, 2025, services across Lagos State’s primary, secondary, and tertiary hospitals have been severely disrupted. Visits by PLATFORM TIMES to major public hospitals on Tuesday revealed closed departments, overcrowded waiting areas, and overstretched medical staff struggling to cope with the influx of patients. While doctors and nurses remain on duty in emergency and clinical units, the withdrawal of non-clinical staff—including…

..Defence minister says Sympathy For Bandits Fuels Bloodshed … Warns Clerics, Influencers Against Moral Cover For Criminals Daud Olatunji  The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Musa, has warned Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, and other perceived sympathisers of terrorists and bandits to desist from offering any form of support—direct or indirect—to criminal groups threatening Nigeria’s security. Musa issued the warning on Wednesday during an official visit to Maiduguri, Borno State, where he said narratives that excuse or justify terrorism and banditry have continued to fuel insecurity across the country. He stressed that criminal activities must never be cloaked in ethnic,…