Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Some aggrieved Nigerian soldiers have written an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, lamenting the alleged diversion of their allowances and what they described as widespread corruption among top military officers. The soldiers, who said they have endured years of neglect, claimed that their families are suffering while they remain on the frontlines battling insurgents and other security threats across the country. In the letter, sighted by PLATFORM TIMES on Tuesday, the soldiers accused the outgoing service chiefs and senior officers of shortchanging them in the payment of non-regular allowances approved by the Federal Government. “Mr. President, our families are…

Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has blamed the persistence of long-serving African leaders such as Cameroon’s Paul Biya and Ivory Coast’s Alassane Ouattara on the continent’s weak institutions and lack of democratic accountability. Saraki, who spoke at the Democracy Union for Africa Forum held in Nairobi, Kenya, said the trend of sit-tight leadership in Africa is a direct result of fragile governance structures that fail to check abuse of power. “These are not merely political anomalies; they are symptoms of institutional fragility,” he declared. “It is what allows, for instance, the re-election of Paul Biya in Cameroon at the…

Despite a record ₦17.2 trillion revenue in 2024, 35 Nigerian states remain heavily reliant on allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), according to BudgIT’s latest State of States report released on Tuesday. The civic tech organisation revealed that, while states’ revenues expanded significantly between 2015 and 2025, their financial independence remains alarmingly weak — with most relying on the federal purse to stay afloat. “Our findings show that many states continue to depend on FAAC for more than half of their total income, despite a sharp increase in allocations,” BudgIT noted. According to the report, FAAC inflows rose…

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has revealed that former President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to suspend the removal of fuel subsidy in 2012 was driven more by fears of Boko Haram attacks than by public protests. Sanusi, who was the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the time, said the Jonathan administration had initially been resolute about ending the subsidy regime but backtracked after intelligence reports warned of possible suicide bombings targeting protesters. Speaking at the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference themed “Better Leader for a Better Nigeria” on Tuesday, Sanusi disclosed that the government’s…

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has uncovered irregularities in the asset declaration forms of several ministers, permanent secretaries, and top federal officials following a comprehensive review by its newly established Financial Investigation and Fraud Analysis Unit (FIFAU). CCB Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Bello, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday signed by the Director of Special Duties, Moses Atolagbe, marking his first anniversary in office. According to Bello, the Bureau had scrutinized more than 500 asset declaration forms, with discrepancies identified in the submissions of at least nine ministers, 43 permanent secretaries, and 40 federal directors. “This investigation — the…

Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has attributed the country’s current high debt servicing costs to what he described as “the consequence of past borrowing and elevated interest rates.” In a recent opinion article, Edun acknowledged that while Nigeria has recorded notable economic progress under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, fiscal challenges remain, particularly the disproportionate share of national revenue consumed by debt repayment. “This is the consequence of past borrowing and elevated interest rates,” Edun said. “At the same time, Nigeria’s fiscal revenue-to-GDP ratio, at about 10 per cent after rebasing, remains one of…

A pregnant woman, identified as Mrs. Temitope Akinsipe, on Monday staged a lone protest in Akure, the Ondo State capital, over the sudden disappearance of her husband, an operative of the Amotekun Corps, identified as Victor Temitope Akinsipe. Mrs. Akinsipe, visibly distressed and heavily pregnant, was seen at the Igbatoro Road Roundabout—an area leading to both the Amotekun Corps headquarters and the Governor’s Office—carrying a placard and crying as she demanded to know her husband’s whereabouts. According to her, her husband went missing about a week ago after allegedly receiving a phone call from the Amotekun Command in Akure, summoning…

The Edo State Government has issued a one-week ultimatum to former Deputy Governor, Godwin Omobayo, directing him to return all government assets in his possession or risk arrest. Omobayo, who served under former Governor Godwin Obaseki following the impeachment of Philip Shaibu in 2024, was accused of unlawfully retaining vehicles, documents, and other state-owned assets used during his time in office. In a statement on Tuesday, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Fred Itua, said the former deputy governor had ignored multiple official requests to hand over the items, describing his conduct as “a breach of public trust…

The House of Representatives on Monday raised fresh concerns over mounting security threats to the National Assembly Complex, revealing that terrorists have issued threats to bomb the country’s legislative seat of power. Chairman of the House Committee on Internal Security, Hon. Garba Muhammad, made the shocking disclosure during a public hearing on a bill seeking to establish the Legislative Security Directorate, a proposed agency to strengthen security operations within the National Assembly. Garba said intelligence reports and recent incidents have exposed the complex to multiple security vulnerabilities, including infiltration by unregistered visitors, vandalism, theft of cars and motorcycles, and circulation…

Ayomide Awe Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has revealed that the United States government has permanently revoked his visa, a development he described as a likely consequence of his criticism of the U.S. President, Donald Trump’s policies. Soyinka made the disclosure on Tuesday during a media parley held at Freedom Park, Lagos, tagged “Unending Saga: Idi Amin in Whiteface!” The literary icon said he received a letter from the U.S. Consulate in Lagos last Thursday, October 23, officially notifying him of the visa revocation. Reading from the letter, Soyinka quoted:“Dear Mr. Soyinka, this letter serves as official notification of the…