Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The spokesman for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC),Felix Morka, has called for comprehensive electoral reforms to ensure that the recent Supreme Court ruling on local government financial autonomy translates into effective governance at the grassroots level.  Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday, Morka said  that while the Supreme Court’s decision to grant financial autonomy to local governments was a significant step forward, it is insufficient on its own to guarantee robust local governance. In his comments, Morka praised the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement delivered last Thursday, which mandates that the Federal Government directly disburse 20.60% of…

Daud Olatunji A former Minister of Agriculture and one-time National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Audu Ogbeh, has recounted his narrow escape from an assassination attempt during his tenure as party chairman.  Speaking at a public event broadcast by TVC on Tuesday, Ogbeh provided a rare glimpse into the perilous nature of political leadership in Nigeria. Ogbeh, who held the position of PDP national chairman from 2001 to January 2005 and served as the Minister of Communications in the Nigerian Second Republic from 1982 to 1983, revealed that the chairpersons of political parties often lack the influence over…

Daud Olatunji  The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Ekiti State branch, has called on former Governor Ayodele Fayose to withdraw his recent statements on local government autonomy and issue an unreserved apology to council workers.  This demand comes in response to Fayose’s controversial remarks during a television interview, where he expressed opposition to the Supreme Court’s judgement granting autonomy to local governments. In the interview, Fayose claimed that many local government officials did not take their work seriously.  “Go to the council on Wednesday or Friday, and you will not find 10 percent of the staff of…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) announced on Tuesday that the country has recorded 3,623 suspected cholera cases and 103 deaths across 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory as of July 15, 2024. Addressing the press in Abuja, Dr. Jide Idris, the Director General of the NCDC, disclosed that the outbreak had affected 187 local government areas, resulting in a cumulative case fatality rate of 2.8% since the beginning of the year.  Dr. Idris stressed  that the predominant age group affected by the outbreak is five-year-olds, with males accounting for 52% of the cases. “There was…

Daud Olatunji The Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday, dismissed a suit seeking the removal of Arabic inscriptions from Nigeria’s naira notes.  PLATFORM TIMES reports that the suit, filed by Lagos-based lawyer Chief Malcolm Omirhobo, argued that the inscriptions portrayed Nigeria as an Islamic state, which contradicts its constitutional status as a secular nation. Justice Yellin Bogoro, delivering the judgement, stated that Omirhobo failed to substantiate his claim that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) acted in bad faith by retaining Arabic inscriptions on the naira notes.  Omirhobo, who filed the suit in 2020, contended that the Arabic script…

Daud Olatunji In a substantial allocation of national resources, the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) has distributed a total of N1.354 trillion as the June 2024 Federation Accounts Revenue to the Federal Government, States, and Local Government Councils across Nigeria.  This was disclosed at the July 2024 FAAC meeting, chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, in Abuja. According to a communique issued by FAAC on Tuesday, the N1.354 trillion distributable revenue comprises multiple revenue streams: N142.514 billion from statutory revenue, N523.973 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT), N15.692 billion from Electronic Money…

Daud Olatunji The former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Tunji Sarafa Isola, has pinpointed a severe trust deficit as a primary impediment to Nigeria’s national development.  In a compelling discourse, he called for a national shift towards cultivating trust among citizens to pave the way for substantial growth and progress. Ambassador Isola voiced his concerns during a public discussion hosted by the Department of Mass Communication at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye.  The event, held in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, centered on the theme “Trust and…

Olasunkanmi Olajide, Joy Adeyiga & Femi Dansu The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Oba Abdur-Rasheed Ayotunde Olabomi, Odundun IV, the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Land, who assumed duties on campus on July 15, 2024, revealed that the dam in the University was the largest he has seen in any Nigerian university.  During a familiarisation Tour of the University’s facilities, the highly revered monarch expressed his admiration, even as he commended the University Management for the diligent maintenance of the dam.  The University’s 8th Pro-Chancellor highlighted the significant investment of both…

Babcock University Alumni Association (BUAA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Education Advancement Support Services (EASS) to develop an online platform aimed at enhancing alumni engagement and fundraising for the university. The agreement outlines that EASS will create and manage the online platform, Konnect, which will facilitate data importation, web front-end customization, and administration for BUAA. During the MoU signing ceremony, attended by university principal officers and officials from BUAA and EASS, Babcock University’s President/Vice Chancellor, Professor Ademola Tayo, expressed confidence in the mutual benefits of the partnership.  He emphasized the importance of EASS reaching out to alumni…

…Recounts Harrowing experiences  …Praises Gov Abiodun For Pardon …Govs, Amnesty, Monarchs’ Intervention Needed — Evangelist Wole Badejo Sodiq Mojibola  In a gripping tale of survival and resilience, Johnson Awoleye, once condemned to death for a crime he claims he did not commit, has finally tasted freedom after a harrowing ten years behind bars.  Awoleye, who served as an escort to former Governor of Ogun State, Senator  Ibikunle Amosun, narrated his ordeal in an exclusive interview with PLATFORM TIMES, detailing the overcrowded and dire conditions of Nigerian prisons. He said “I was accused unjustly,” Awoleye recounted, “and thrown into…