Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Ogun State branch has extended its ultimatum for the payment of the reviewed Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) by an additional 21 days.  This decision was made during an Emergency Ordinary General Meeting held on July 1, 2024, following the expiration of the initial 21-day ultimatum on June 27, 2024. Dr. Olusina Ajidahun, the Acting Public Relations Officer of the NMA Ogun State branch, in a  statement said  that the  extension aims to allow for further negotiations with the  State government and to provide the government with more time to effect the payment of the…

The Ogun State Chapter of the Freelance and Independent Broadcaster Association of Nigeria (FIBAN) has expressed its condolences to the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) State Council following the passing of Comrade Wale Adewumi, the former Chairman of the Correspondent Chapel of the union. Adewumi reportedly passed away on Monday after a brief illness, leaving behind a legacy of professionalism and dedication in journalism.  In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abeokuta, the state capital, and signed by FIBAN Chairman Comrade Aderoju Adejare, the association,said his  death has cast a shadow over the media community in Ogun State and beyond.…

The Police Command in Lagos State says it has arrested two dismissed soldiers and four others for alleged armed robbery and car theft. The Command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest on Tuesday while parading the suspects and exhibits recovered from them. Hundeyin said that the two dismissed soldiers belonged to a robbery gang that allegedly specialised in snatching vehicles at gun point from motorists in different parts of the state and sell off same within Lagos. He said the robbery suspects were arrested by the Command’s tactical team based in Surulere after information and due diligence investigations…

The Sokoto State government has clarified that the Sultan of Sokoto does not possess constitutional authority to appoint any officials.  This assertion was made by Barrister Nasiru Binji, the Commissioner of Justice, during a public hearing on the Sokoto Local Government and Chieftaincy Law 2008, held on Tuesday. Binji highlighted that the current Chieftaincy law in the state is in direct conflict with the Nigerian constitution.  Specifically, he pointed out the inconsistency between Section 76(2) of the Sokoto Local Government and Chieftaincy Law and Section 5(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. “Section 5(2) of the constitution stipulates that the…

Daud Olatunji A  Federal High Court has sentenced Freeman Charles Ogbonna to 25 years in prison for drug trafficking, following his arrest by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.  Ogbonna, a Delhi-bound passenger, was apprehended on March 31st while attempting to board a flight to Delhi, India via Doha on Qatar Airways, using a Liberian passport bearing the name Carr Bismark. The NDLEA’s vigilance at the screening point of terminal 2 led to Ogbonna’s detention after a body scan revealed he had ingested illicit drugs.  Subsequent investigations uncovered his…

The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Honourable Elemide Oludaisi, has pledged to address the grievances of communities in Obafemi Owode Local Government over alleged land grabbing. The commitment was made during a protest at the State House of Assembly on Tuesday. Residents of Agboro and Latunde communities had accused the Olu of Obafe, Taofeek Owolabi, of forcefully taking over 500 hectares of their land. In response to the protest, Hon. Elemide reassured the protesters of the state’s zero tolerance for land grabbing, echoing recent warnings from Governor Dapo Abiodun to monarchs about illegal land sales. “We have…

Daud Olatunji In a striking demonstration of economic disparity, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have emerged as the primary destinations for foreign capital in Nigeria for the first quarter of 2024.  According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report released on Monday, Nigeria attracted a total of $3.38 billion in foreign investments during this period—a staggering 210 percent increase from the $1.09 billion recorded in the previous quarter and a 198.06 percent rise from the $1.13 billion in the same period last year. The report reveals that Lagos alone accounted for a significant 82 percent of this…

Minister of Housing and Urban Development,Ahmed Dangiwa, has  disclosed that more than 80% of Nigerians are unable to afford mortgage housing.  Speaking at the maiden edition of the Kaduna International Housing Exhibition at the Yar’Adua Hall on Monday, the minister painted a bleak picture of housing affordability in the country. Dangiwa highlighted that nearly half of Nigeria’s population of over 201 million are living in poverty, with an overwhelming majority having weak purchasing power.  He noted that recent macro-economic challenges, including inflation, have exacerbated the situation. “In fact, of the 43 million households, over 85% have less than N1.1 million…

… Intercepts N9.6 billion Drugs  Daud Olatunji  The Nigeria Customs Service has seized 844 assorted rifles and 112,500 rounds of live ammunition at Onne Port, Rivers State allegedly from Turkey.  The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi,disposed this  during a media briefing on Monday at the Onne Area 2 Command. Adeniyi explained that the seizure was the result of meticulous intelligence gathering and risk assessment.  He added that the  contraband, concealed in a 40-foot container labeled MAEU-165396 originating from Turkey, was intercepted on June 21, 2024.  The rifles and ammunition were hidden among innocuous items such as dolls, furniture, and…

Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says the commission has made 142 recommendations to improve future electoral processes.  Yakubu said this on Monday in Lagos at the opening of a two-day induction retreat for resident electoral commissioners (RECs). He said the commission had published the report on the review of the 2023 elections and that it was already available on its website. “But there is also the outcome of the retreats and engagements with stakeholders, which is now being published. “I can tell you that the commission has made 142 recommendations…