Author: Platform Times Newspaper

In a surprising turn of events, real estate and construction firms in Nigeria managed to secure a staggering N2.26 trillion in loans over eight months, despite facing a steep increase in benchmark interest rates.  This surge in lending activity between November 2022 and June 2023, marking an 18.9% growth, has raised eyebrows and generated both optimism and concerns within the industry. The loans, sourced primarily from banks, have been earmarked to bolster and expand services within the real estate and construction sectors. This financial influx demonstrates the resilience of these industries, which have navigated an arduous financial landscape, following the…

Daud Olatunji  In a moment of celebration and gratitude, the President of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Dr. Tope Osundara, has expressed heartfelt appreciation for the completion of a new medical facility, known as the “call duty block,” which he described as a significant milestone for the healthcare community. Addressing a gathering of medical professionals and stakeholders, Dr. Osundara  emphasized  the importance of the day, calling it “special” and asserting that it deserved celebration. He underlined the importance of the new facility for doctors, highlighting its potential to enhance the quality of healthcare…

By Daud Olatunji In a celebration of remarkable achievements in the realm of Landscape Horticulture, the Nigeria Institute of Landscape Horticulturists (NILH) has announced a prestigious set of awards for several noteworthy institutions and individuals.  These awards recognize their unwavering support and contributions to the advancement of professional practices within the field. The honourees include the Ogun State Government, the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), and Babcock University in Ilishan-Remo, among others. Their dedication and efforts towards Landscape Horticulture have earned them a place in the limelight. Government and Institutional Accolades In a joint statement issued by the Chairperson…

Israel Adeleke The General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has raised doubts about the validity of a common phrase in Christian marriage vows. The phrase, ‘for better for worse,’ is often recited by couples during their wedding ceremonies, especially in Nigeria. In a tweet posted on his X handle (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Apostle Suleman asked, “Who invented the cliché ‘For better for worse’?” He added that “almost all weddings are ‘plagued’ with that recitation, and we have all accepted it as a norm over the years. Longevity is not legality.” The cleric suggested that the…

Fawaz Adebisi The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Afe Babalola, has expressed his dismay over how politics has corrupted the minds of Nigerian youth and made them lose interest in education. Speaking at the 11th convocation ceremony of his university on Saturday, Babalola said that politics has become the only lucrative business in Nigeria, while education is gradually being relegated to the background. He narrated how a first-class graduate of chemistry from the University of Lagos rejected his offer of a scholarship for a Ph.D. because he wanted to go into politics, having seen his secondary school mate…

Israel Adeleke The Labour Party has accused its former national chairman, Julius Abure, of corruption and incompetence in the appeal court case involving its candidate, Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah, and Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha of APC for the Federal House of Representatives seat of Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency. In an open letter addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Labour Party stated that Abure’s media aides deliberately orchestrated bland and false narratives about the proceedings inside the Court of Appeal in Igbosere, Lagos state on October 19, 2023. The letter, signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Dr.…

Aminat Gusanu No fewer than a month after announcing separation from his wife, Bunmi, Actor Bolanle Ninolowo has disclosed that he has found love again. The actor pleaded with fans on his Instagram page, to suggest to him best ways possible to approach the one who has captured his heart. He stressed that he only has one life to live, and so needs to move on. On his Instagram handle he shared a post that reads, “Where are my Dr loves … I peeped her. How do I say hi!!! Do I slide in her DM? Do I ask her…

Fawaz Adebisi  The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has expressed his shock and grief over the death of his commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RRR), Ibrahim Garba, who died in his sleep on Saturday in Maiduguri. The governor’s spokesman, Isa Gusau, confirmed the sad news in a statement he shared on the ‘Governor of Borno’s Facebook page. According to Gusau, the state commissioner of police was at the house where Ibrahim died in his guest house, and has commenced an urgent investigation into the cause of death. In his words, the governor received the news with intense shock and…

Daud Olatunji In a concerning turn of events, the Federal government’s revenue generation for the 2023 fiscal year has fallen short by a staggering N1.255 trillion in the first seven months of the year.  The 2024-2026 Medium Term Economic Framework (MTEF) prepared by the government paints a challenging financial landscape, with a significant disparity between budgeted figures and actual revenue collection. The government had initially projected a total revenue of N11.045 trillion for 2023, yet the actual collection stood at a mere N5.187 trillion, a substantial shortfall of N1.255 trillion.  This discrepancy is bound to raise questions about the country’s…

Daud Olatunji Renowned Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has vehemently expressed his belief that the Nobel Prize in Literature awarded to American singer Bob Dylan in 2016 was a grave mistake.  Soyinka’s unwavering stance on this issue was revealed during a recent interview with Turkish journalist Aysegul Sert in Paris, the excerpts of which were published in an article titled “Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka on a Lifetime of Art and Activism” on October 19, 2023, by Literary Hub. In 2016, the Nobel Committee honored Bob Dylan with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within…