Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, has unveiled a shadow government aimed at providing structured opposition to the administration of President Bola Tinubu — a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the federal government. The virtual launch, held on Monday under the banner of the Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government, was described by Utomi as a “national emergency response” to what he termed governance failures under the current administration. Shadow governments, common in parliamentary systems, are designed to mirror the cabinet structure of an incumbent government with the purpose of offering oversight and policy alternatives. However, Nigeria operates a presidential…

Daud Olatunji As part of activities marking the 91st birthday of the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona, GCON, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, will host the 9th edition of the Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona Annual Professorial Chair Lecture. This was disclosed on Tuesday, in a statement issued by Deputy Registrar, Corporate Affairs Division of the institution, Niyi Oduwole. The lecture, scheduled for Saturday, May 10, 2025, will be delivered by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and will focus on the theme: “Corruption and National Security: Impacts and Consequences.” It will hold…

Do you know the reason why a noun phrase is often described as a group of words headed by a noun or pronoun? It’s simply because the structure of a noun phrase is MHQ. M stands for modifier, H for headword, while Q is qualifier. Modifier is a word that comes before the headword while qualifier is a word that comes after it. The headword is the most important noun or pronoun which is the subject-matter of the phrase. Below are some examples. The man in black trousers is our teacher. Here, The (M) man (H) in black trousers (Q)Great…

A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) has clashed over fresh allegations of financial misappropriation to the tune of ₦234 billion leveled against the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, with a fierce rebuttal coming from a long-standing police accountability group. The controversy, which erupted during a roundtable on Police Reform and Accountability held in Abuja on Tuesday, has seen the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) accuse IGP Egbetokun of financial misconduct involving budgetary allocations, suspicious contract awards, and questionable disposal of police assets. PAACA’s Executive Director, Ezenwa Nwagwu, said the organisation had submitted a petition to…

Daud Olatunji The tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Herbert Wigwe, his wife Doreen, their son Chizi, and business magnate Abimbola Ogunbanjo in February 2024 has been attributed to a combination of pilot disorientation and the helicopter company’s negligence, according to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in its final investigation report. The incident, which occurred on February 9, 2024, near the Nevada border in California, resulted in the death of all six passengers aboard the helicopter registered N130CZ. Among the victims were Herbert Wigwe, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, and Ogunbanjo,…

Former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has decried the alarming decline in Nigeria’s education standards, describing the recently released 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results as a stark indicator of systemic failure in the sector. Obi, who made his position known via a statement shared on his verified social media account, said the dismal performance of candidates reflects the long-standing neglect and chronic underfunding of education in the country. According to official figures released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), out of the 1,955,069 candidates who…

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, has felicitated with the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Sheikh Abdul-Ganiyy AbuBakr Agbotomokekere, as he clocked 90 years on Monday, May 5, 2025. In a congratulatory message issued by the Media Team of the Sultanate Council on Tuesday, May 6, the Sultan commended the cleric’s lifelong commitment to Islam and humanity. He described the nonagenarian as a spiritual pillar whose service has impacted generations of faithful in the South West and beyond. Sheikh Agbotomokekere, who also serves as…

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has attributed the widespread failure recorded in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to the federal government’s intensified crackdown on examination malpractice. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Alausa insisted that the poor performance of candidates in the latest UTME was not due to a decline in student intelligence, but rather a result of stricter exam protocols that have significantly curbed cheating. “What you’re seeing is a reflection of exams being done the proper way,” the minister said. “JAMB has put in place so much security that fraud or cheating has…

In a major political shake-up ahead of the Edo governorship election, the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, alongside 17 local government chairmen, dozens of councillors, and other top members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The high-profile defections took place on Monday during a well-attended ceremony in Benin City, where the defectors were formally received into the APC fold by the party’s National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, and Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo. The development is seen as a significant boost for the ruling…

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised a fresh alarm over Nigeria’s deepening child malnutrition crisis, revealing that an estimated two million children in the country are suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) — the highest burden in Africa and the second highest globally. According to a statement posted on the agency’s website on Tuesday, only two out of every 10 Nigerian children suffering from the life-threatening condition currently receive any form of treatment, leaving the vast majority without critical care. “Nigeria has the second highest burden of stunted children in the world, with a national prevalence rate of…