Author: Platform Times Newspaper

By Prince Adenrele Sofela As he continues to fumble, grubble and wobble through the demands of his exalted position, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has moved from many uncommon blunders to uncommon scandals. He caught a pitiful picture within the first week of his assumption of office as number three citizen with a reckless and annoying gaffe which sent shock waves across the nation. When a small man assumes a big position, one of two things is likely to happen either he rises to the challenge of his position or reduces the position to his level. Akpabio was at his ridiculous…

Israel Adeleke The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has secured the conviction of three internet fraudsters in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State. The convicts are Kolawole Temidayo Joshua, a 26-year-old forex trader, Abdullahi Isiak, and Daniel Roland Orji. The EFCC said that they were arrested by its operatives in Ilorin following intelligence reports on their internet-related activities. The convicts were arraigned on Monday, October 10, 2023, before Justice Mahmoud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court on separate one-count charges of cheating by personation. According to the EFCC, Joshua pretended to be one…

Daud Olatunji  In a dramatic turn of events, the Department of State Services (DSS) and a contingent of police officers descended upon the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State as disgruntled youths intensified their protest over the prolonged absence of the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.  The state capital of Akure became a focal point of tension on Monday morning as placard-carrying youths gathered to express their frustration regarding Akeredolu’s health status and his extended stay away from the state. Although the security forces did not seal off the secretariat, they effectively confined the agitated youths within…

Aminat Gusanu The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party  in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi has blamed the food crisis in Nigeria on a lack of adequate investment in the agricultural  sector. Obi emphasized the need for the government to prioritize agricultural investment to ensure adequate food production, not only for Nigeria but also for the global community. He  disclosed this via his verified X handle (formerly Twitter) on the occasion of World Food Day on Monday. He cited another obstacle to food security including insecurity in parts of the country, calling for urgent steps to salvage over 90…

Daud Olatunji In a decisive ruling on Monday, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal unseated Senator Elisha Abbo, the sitting legislator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District.  A unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices invalidated the previous tribunal judgment that upheld Abbo as the rightful winner of the Senatorial seat under the All Progressives Congress (APC). The court held that the appeal brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Amos Yohanna, had substantial merit.  Senator Abbo, known for a highly publicized assault on a lady in a sex toy shop in Abuja in 2019, saw his…

Daud Olatunji In a concerning trend across the South West region of Nigeria, Ogun State has emerged as the top debtor in the pension sector, with an astounding N64 billion in unpaid pension and gratuity obligations.  This alarming revelation has sparked discussions about the financial well-being of retirees and the responsibility of state governments in ensuring their post-service stability. The situation in Ogun State is dire, with Governor Dapo Abiodun having disbursed only N4 billion since assuming office, leaving a staggering N64 billion balance inherited from a total gratuity debt of N68 billion meant for both state and local government…

Daud Olatunji In a shocking incident in the Agbonchia Community of Eleme Local Council, a yet-to-be-identified woman resorted to violence, bathing her husband in acid due to a disagreement over N15,000 received as part of community dividends. The woman, who is a mother of two girls and originally from Akwa Ibom but married to a native of Agbonchia, took the extreme step, leaving her husband with acid burns on his face and making off with his Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card. After the horrifying attack, the woman sought refuge by hiding inside the ceiling, presumably to evade arrest and potential…

The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, has sounded the alarm regarding the distressing increase in the rate of drug abuse in the community.  During his address at the 2023 Ofala Festival, themed “Better, Stronger, Together,” he highlighted the concerning prevalence of drug addiction among the youth, shedding light on a growing social crisis. Igwe Achebe, a respected traditional leader who also serves as the Chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, expressed his deep concern over the rising specter of drug addiction plaguing Onitsha and its environs in Anambra State.  He identified this issue as one of the…

The long-standing dispute over the N120 billion Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) debt between telecommunications operators and Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria may escalate to a legal battle as telecoms operators consider pursuing their dues. This ongoing impasse, spanning four years, has begun to create a growing divide between the telecoms sector and the financial industry, with significant implications for both. Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, expressed his regret that the issue has taken on a political dimension, emphasizing that it is fundamentally a commercial matter.  He likened it to a…

Daud Olatunji In its recent report on ‘Africa: Special Issue: In Pursuit of Stronger Growth and Resilience,’ the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised concerns about Nigeria’s increasing debt burden.  The IMF projects that Nigeria’s government debt will surge by 4.3 percent of its GDP in 2024, from 38.8 percent in 2023. Nigeria has witnessed a steady rise in government debt to GDP, from 21.9 percent in 2019 to 34.5 percent in the COVID-19 year, and further to 36.5 percent in 2021 and 39.6 percent in 2022.  The nation grapples with the aftermath of the pandemic, a sluggish global economy,…