Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji In a stern move, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given a one-week deadline to the 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to disclose comprehensive details of federal allocations intended for local governments since the advent of democracy in 1999. SERAP has further urged the concerned officials to transparently reveal the actual disbursement of these allocations to local governments and has called upon the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the spending of these funds.…

In a resounding call for change, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has once again emphasized the imperative of restructuring as the optimal solution to address Nigeria’s pressing issues. Expressing his views at the 10th World Congress of Oodua Progressives Union (OPU) held in Osogbo, Osun State, Adams, who leads the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), underscored the current challenges facing Nigeria and asserted that restructuring is the key to overcoming them. Highlighting the urgency of the situation, Adams asserted, “The only solution is restructuring and true federalism.”  He specifically called on President Bola Tinubu to take decisive steps…

Abia State Commissioner of Police, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, has announced the apprehension of five individuals masquerading as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials within the state. The arrest unfolded after the Central Police Station (CPS), Umuahia, received intelligence about a four-member gang donned in EFCC uniforms.  Acting on this information, the suspects targeted students at Enyioma Christ Lodge, Umudike, forcibly seizing their phones at gunpoint and coercing them into transferring a total of 120,000 naira. In response, the police, led by Onwuemelie, swiftly deployed officers from CPS to investigate the incident and survey the crime scene.  Subsequently, three suspects, identified…

In a disturbing turn of events, Mrs. Helen Odunubi, the proprietress of Excel Group of Schools in Ogun State, has been  allegedly abducted by unidentified individuals on Friday within the school premises.  The incident  occurred at approximately 1 pm in the Ogunsua Crescent, Oserw Baba Odun Matogbun area of Agbado. According to a source, the trouble began when two women and two men drove an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Sienna directly to the school proprietress’ office.  Ayodeji Odunubi, the son of the 56-year-old victim, informed the police that the suspects, unfamiliar to the area, forcibly took his mother and swiftly fled…

By Idris Katib A 79-year old alumnus of the Bola Ajibola College of Law (BACOLAW), Crescent University, Abeokuta, HRH Oba Olufemi Ogunleye, the Oba of Akinale has motivated the newly admitted students of Crescent University Abeokuta with his journey of academic excellence. Oba Ogunleye, a retired journalist and public relations expert unveiled amid applause that he was gratified to have graduated with a Bachelor of Law from BACOLAW at age 73 and assured students that age was never a barrier to achieving one’s set goals. He said studying at Crescent University Abeokuta had enhanced his status as a traditional ruler…

Former Head of the Department of Business Administration and Management, Dr. Taofeek Kasali, has officially retired after a distinguished career marked by two terms as the department head from 2007 to 2011 and later as Director at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Centre for Entrepreneurship Development from 2020 to 2022. PLATFORM TIMES reports that simultaneously, his wife, Alhaja Raliat Kasali, has also concluded her tenure as Vice Principal at the Ogun State Teaching Service Commission in December 2023.  The couple, having devoted years to the education sector, now embarks on new chapters in their lives. Dr. Kasali, a seasoned Economist and…

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a stark warning to the federal government, demanding the immediate disbursement of the N35,000 wage award, initially approved for public sector workers. The union, representing polytechnic lecturers across the country, emphasizes that the failure to honor this agreement may result in a crippling industrial action. ASUP President, Shammah Kpanja, expressed the growing discontent among polytechnic lecturers, citing severe economic hardship as the primary catalyst for their agitation.  Kpanja lamented the government’s failure to fulfill its commitment, revealing that the promised N35,000 has been paid only once, contrary to the agreed six-month…

A Zoology student at the University of Ilorin, Miss Moyosore Bright, had a narrow escape from abductors after boarding a “Korope” minibus from campus.  Reports indicate that she was rendered unconscious by the driver but later found herself in the outskirts of Ilorin after regaining consciousness. Moyosore, dispossessed of her gold chain, ATM cards, and N3000, reported the incident to the police, highlighting the absence of violence on her person during the inspection. Investigations are underway to apprehend the culprits. In a statement, Police Spokesperson Ejire Adeyemi Adetoun confirmed the incident, emphasizing the Commissioner of Police’s commitment to ensuring a…

In a heartwarming initiative, Kebbi State conducted a mass wedding at the Gwandu Emirate Palace in Birnin Kebbi, joining together over 300 widows, divorcees, and indigents.  The event, organized by the Kebbi state government under the leadership of Hajia Nafisa Nasir Idris, the wife of the Kebbi governor, was executed by the NANAS foundation, a pet project of Mrs. Idris. Mrs. Idris highlighted the purpose of the mass wedding, aiming to alleviate the challenges faced by divorcees, widows, and the less privileged who struggle with marriage expenses.  The government, through this initiative, provided essential items such as beds, chairs, and…

Former INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide an explanation regarding the malfunctioning INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) and the Bimodal Voter Registration Systems (BVAS) during the 2023 general elections.  In an interview with Channels Television over the weekend, Jega attributed the failure to desperate politicians allegedly infiltrating the technological systems designed for accreditation and electronic vote transmission. During the February 2023 polls, public outcry arose as INEC officials struggled to electronically upload election results to the IReV as mandated by Section 60 of the Electoral Act 2022.  Opposition parties contested the…