Author: Platform Times Newspaper

  Daud Olatunji The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Ogun State Council is set to host an engaging dialogue featuring the House of Representatives members and Senators from Ogun State.  This significant event, tagged “Dialogue with Ogun Journalists,” aims to reflect on and discuss the legislative activities and impacts of these elected officials over the past year. Scheduled to take place from June 24 to June 29, 2024, at the Iwe-Irohin Press Center in Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta, the programme  will provide a platform for the nine House of Representatives members and three Senators from Ogun State to present their achievements…

Former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed  shock and sorrow at the passing of His Royal Highness Oba (Dr.) Olufemi Okesooto Iyanda Adewunmi Ogunleye, Towulade 1, the traditional ruler of Akinale Town, Owu Kingdom, Abeokuta, Ogun State.  Oba Ogunleye, an esteemed journalist and public relations expert, passed away on June 19, 2024, in the United Kingdom following a brief illness at the age of 79.  He was expected to turn 80 in September. In a statement released by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo described Oba Ogunleye’s death as a great loss to the entire Owu land, Ogun…

Daud Olatunji In a continued effort to achieve his New Year’s resolution of planting 100 trees in 2024, Dr. Iziaq Kunle Salako, the Honourable Minister of State for Environment, marked a significant milestone by planting his 50th tree in Ayetoro, Ogun State.  This tree planting is part of the “Greener Nigeria Campaign” initiated by President  Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and led by the Federal Ministry of Environment.  The event took place on Monday, June 17, 2024, amidst the Eid Kabir celebrations. Dr. Salako’s commitment to the environment was on full display as he reached the halfway point of his…

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reported a significant surge in revenue, reaching a total of N4.49 trillion over the past year, marking a 74% increase from the previous year.  This was announced by the Comptroller-General of NCS, Adewale Adeniyi, during a press briefing in Abuja to celebrate his one-year anniversary in office. In his address, CGC Adeniyi attributed this remarkable achievement to enhanced enforcement measures, improved automation processes, and stronger stakeholder engagement.  The NCS’s revenue collection from June 2023 to May 2024 substantially exceeded the N2.58 trillion collected in the corresponding period of the previous year. “The NCS reported…

Daud Olatunji & AFP The death toll at the annual rituals, which were carried out in scorching heat, has  surged past 900 during this year Muslim pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, AFP reports . Friends and family  were said to have begun searching  for missing hajj pilgrims . Relatives scoured hospitals and pleaded online for news, fearing the worst after temperatures hit 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 Fahrenheit) in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, on Monday. About 1.8 million people from all over the world, many old and infirm, took part in the days-long, mostly outdoor pilgrimage, which this year fell…

Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako, has highlighted the severe impact of drought on the nation’s population, revealing that about 40 million Nigerians have been driven into poverty due to the ongoing environmental crisis.  Speaking at the celebration of World Environment Day, organized by the United Nations in Nigeria in collaboration with Greenhub Africa Foundation and the Renewable Energy Efficiency Association, Dr. Salako emphasized the dire consequences of drought, particularly around the Lake Chad region. Represented by Alhaji Abdullahi Usman, a senior official in the ministry, the minister underscored the various actions taken by the Nigerian government to…

Daud Olatunji Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA),Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd),  has alerted the nation to a looming crisis.  Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Marwa warned that drug use in Nigeria and other African countries is projected to increase by 40% by 2030, driven largely by the growing population of young people. Describing the situation as a “national emergency,” Marwa emphasized the urgent need for Nigeria to invest heavily in preventive measures to address the anticipated challenges.  The press conference marked the beginning of a week-long series of events to…

A Nigerian pilgrim from Jigawa State attending the recently concluded 2024 Hajj returned a lost purse containing  $800, approximately N1,185,000, along with 690 Saudi Riyal and some Russian currency to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).  The incident occurred on Wednesday night at the Masjid Nabawi (Prophet’s Mosque) in Madina. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the pilgrim, Abba Saadu Limawa, hails from Limawa village in the Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State.  It was further  gathered that, Limawa discovered the purse, which contained a  substantial amount of money, he chose to report and return the lost purse, an act…

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, said the recent physical verification exercise by her office, exposed workers living abroad but still earning salaries from the service. Yemi-Esan revealed this during a chat with media executives on Wednesday in Abuja, being part of activities to mark 2024 Civil Service Week. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the theme for the 2024 celebration is ‘Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient  Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa’. The HoCSF said many of the civil…

Daud Olatunji  The defence team of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu  led by Alloy Ejimakor, has invoked Section 17 of the Federal High Court Act, which allows the court to promote reconciliation and facilitate amicable settlements.  PLATFORM TIMES reports that the  plea followed the denial of Kanu’s application to quash seven remaining charges against him. The court dismissed Kanu’s fresh application challenging its jurisdiction over several counts, ruling that it could not overrule decisions already made.  The court indicated that Kanu’s only recourse was to appeal these decisions.  Addressing the Federal High Court…