Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Yewa Youth Association (YYA) hosted a landmark dialogue with lawmakers from four local government areas in Yewaland, marking a significant step towards enhanced transparency, accountability, and youth empowerment.  The event, titled “Youth-Legislators Dialogue,” was held on Saturday, June 22, at ASUP Hall, Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State, under the theme “365-Day Stewardship and Youth Dialogue: A Conversation with Yewa 10th National and State Legislators.” The dialogue aimed to bring together the legislative representatives of Yewaland for the first time, fostering a direct and open exchange between the youth and their elected officials.  This initiative symbolises a new era…

Daud Olatunji The Southern Governors’ Forum on Monday, commenced a  closed-door meeting  shortly after their arrival in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.  The gathering, held at the presidential lodge in Ibara housing, marks the first convergence of the governors following the death of the former Chairman, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, in December 2023. As of the commencement of the meeting, eleven governors had already arrivedwitj two deputies .  Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, who also serves as the Chairman of the Southwest Governors’ Forum, led the early arrivals.  He was warmly received by the host governor, Dapo Abiodun…

… Accuses NMDPRA Of Issuing Licences For Dirty Fuel Imports  Devakumar Edwin, Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, has accused International Oil Companies (IOCs) of deliberately undermining the operations of the newly established Dangote Oil Refinery and Petrochemicals.  Speaking at a one-day training programme organized by the Dangote Group, Edwin outlined the various ways in which IOCs are allegedly obstructing the refinery’s ability to secure local crude oil, thereby inflating operational costs and threatening the refinery’s survival. Edwin claimed that IOCs are intentionally hiking the price of local crude oil above market rates, forcing the Dangote…

A man claiming to be a local hunter, Ogunbunmi Jelili, has been apprehended by the Osun State Police Command for allegedly raping a young woman at gunpoint.  The incident occurred in Poyika Adewumi village, near Olode in the Ife South Local Government Area. According to reports, the suspect ambushed the 18-year-old victim and her boyfriend, identified only as Daniel, around 8 p.m. while they were out to buy a soft drink.  The alleged attacker threatened the couple with a Dane gun, vowing to kill them if they did not comply with his demands. In a desperate attempt to escape the…

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says 100 per cent of the SIM cards used in the country are manufactured locally. The Head, New Media and Information Security, NCC, Engr. Babagana Digima said this at a training for media executives in Lagos. The two-day training had the title: “Upskilling Media Stakeholders on Trends in Telecommunications.” Digima attributed the feat to the commission’s commitment to encouraging local content and indigenous participation in the industry through the Nigeria Office for Development in the Indigenous Telecommunications Sector (NORDIT). “The NCC by Section 1D to F of our Act has…

The Labour Party’s Directorate on Mobilization and Integration has denied any plans to replace Peter Obi as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.  This denial comes in response to rumours circulating on social media, suggesting that the party had reconciled with the Apapa-led faction and agreed to field a different candidate. The rebuttal was issued through a statement signed by key members of the Directorate, including the Director General Marcel Ngogbehei, Deputy Director of Media and Communications Aju Elumelu, and Deputy Director of Strategic Engagement Sheikh Rufai Al-Saddiq. Ngogbehei acknowledged ongoing efforts to reconcile various aggrieved groups within…

The combined operatives of the Nigerian embassy and a Senegalese-based NGO have, in an overnight operation, rescued 24 Nigerian girls who were subjected to sexual exploitation in the Tamaccounda and Kedougou Regions of Senegal. Salihu Abubakar, Nigeria’s acting ambassador in Dakar, Senegal, disclosed this on Sunday. The acting ambassador said most of the girls were from Edo and Delta, a few were from Imo and Abia, and two others were from Plateau. According to him, the girls, mostly under-aged, between the ages of 11 and 24, are being trafficked to Senegal through Cotonou, Republic of Benin, via the Mali border…

Daud Olatunji The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga,on Sunday,  says Nigerians would begin to see the results of the president’s Bola  Tinubu’s efforts in the next 12 months. He therefore called on Nigerians to embrace subsistence farming to address the challenge of the rising cost of foods.                   Onanuga, made the call at a meeting with a group of online editors, under the aegis of the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) in Abuja. He said “In 1976, former President Olusegun Obasanjo introduced ‘Operation Feed the Nation,’ promoting farming. “In 1984, when former President…

  Agency Report Saudi Arabia on Sunday, declared  that more than 1,300 faithful died during the hajj pilgrimage which took place during intense heat, and that most of the deceased did not have official permits. The official Saudi Press Agency reported, “regrettably, the number of mortalities reached 1,301, with 83 percent being unauthorised to perform hajj and having walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort.” An AFP tally last week, based on official statements and reports from diplomats involved in their countries’ responses, put the toll at more than 1,100. The dead came from more…

The Oyo State Chapter of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria has announced a seven-day warning strike starting Monday, June 24, 2024.  The union’s president, John Fabunmi, disclosed this information in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. He added that th decision  was communicated on Sunday in a notification letter sent to all members across various health institutions, including ministries, departments, and local government areas.  Fabinmi said the strike is necessary to address their ongoing demands, which have yet to be met by the state government.  He  explained that despite multiple reminders to the government about their grievances, no…