Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB),Professor Olusola Kehinde, has raised the alarm that abandoned farm settlements scattered across Nigeria have become hideouts and safe havens for kidnappers and bandits. Th VC  raised the the concern during the maiden agricultural summit of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin. The summit, themed “Meeting the Challenges of Food Insecurity in Nigeria: Agricultural Technology to the Rescue,” focused on addressing Nigeria’s food insecurity issues through technological advancements in agriculture.  Professor Kehinde, represented by Professor Adebayo Oni, emphasised the urgent need for the government at both federal and state levels to revitalize these abandoned…

In a continued standoff over Nigeria’s minimum wage, the Organised Labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has firmly rejected the Federal Government’s latest offer of a ₦57,000 monthly minimum wage. This development marks the third proposal in about a week as negotiations resumed on Wednesday. The dispute over the new minimum wage has seen multiple proposals from the government and the private sector, which have all been turned down by the labour unions. Initially, the government proposed a ₦48,000 minimum wage, which was promptly rejected. In subsequent talks, the proposal was increased to…

An Oyo State High Court in Ibadan has granted female Muslim students at the University of Ibadan International School, Ibadan (ISI), the right to wear hijab on top of their school uniforms.  The judgment, delivered by Justice Moshood Ishola on Wednesday afternoon, marks the culmination of a legal battle that began in November 2018. The controversy started when the secondary school, which is owned and operated by the University of Ibadan, denied some female Muslim students the right to wear hijabs with their uniforms.  This decision prompted the affected students and their parents to take legal action against the school,…

The Methodist Church Nigeria, Diocese of Remo,has called on the Federal Government to significantly enhance its efforts in addressing the escalating insecurity across the nation.  The Church at its  33rd Synod  held at Agbowa, Sagamu, Ogun State and  presided over by the Rt. Rev. J. M. Bamidele Ibikunle, condemned the violent activities of bandits, kidnappers, arsonists, and armed robbers that have plagued the country. Speaking on the Synod’s theme, “Arise and Build,” inspired by Nehemiah 2:18, urged believers to overcome discouragement . The Synod called for stringent measures against those responsible for recent attacks on public institutions, including banks, police…

Members of House of Representatives, have called on the Federal Government to provide free medical treatment for pregnant women in public health institutions.  The resolution was passed on Wednesday following a motion brought forward by Mohammed Shehu, the representative of Zaki Federal Constituency in Bauchi State. Shehu emphasised that the government established public healthcare institutions to serve humanity by providing medical services, including the treatment of pregnant women.  He highlighted that despite annual budgetary allocations, these institutions have not fully utilized their potential to offer free healthcare services, particularly to expectant mothers. “The Federal Government allocates an annual budget to…

Former Commander of the Force Intelligence Response Team, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari, has been granted two weeks’ bail by an Abuja Federal High Court.  The court’s decision allows Kyari to return home to complete the burial rites of his late mother. The court, while granting the temporary release, has scheduled Friday, May 31, for the determination of Kyari’s bail application related to his ongoing trial over drug-related charges.  These charges were filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following his arrest over two years ago on February 14, 2022. Kyari, once celebrated for his role…

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has raised significant concerns regarding the conduct of local government elections across Nigeria.  During a courtesy call by the executive members of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions (FOSIECOM), Yakubu described these elections as mere coronations of ruling party candidates. Prof. Yakubu criticised state governors for undermining the independence of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).  He pointed out that many SIECs lack the necessary infrastructure, permanent staff, and security of tenure required to conduct free and fair elections.  “State governors should allow the SIECs to have greater…

The Federal Government has approved the prohibition of money rituals and the glamorising of vices in Nigerian films. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Executive Director and CEO of the National Film and Video Censors Board, Shaibu Husseini disclosed this at a National Stakeholders Engagement on Smoke-Free Nollywood held in Enugu on Wednesday. The event was organised by the NFVCB and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa. Movie producers, directors and actors drawn from different parts of the country, as well as leaders of various guilds and associations in the Nigerian film industry were present at the event.…

The percentage of females admitted into the Nigerian Correctional Centre increased by 4.82 per cent in 2022, according to the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS). This is contained in the NBS Statistical Report on Women and Men in Nigeria 2022 released in  Abuja on Wednesday. The report showed that in 2020, the percentage of females admitted into the Nigerian correctional centre stood at 4.90 per cent, then dropped to 4.48 per cent in 2021 and increased to 4.82 per cent in 2022. It also showed that in 2020, 2021, and 2022, male inmates accounted for 95.10, 95.52, and 95.18 per cent…

Professor Taiwo James Obindo, National President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, has called for the full implementation of the new Mental Health Act to replace the outdated Lunacy Act, which treated individuals with mental health conditions inhumanely. Obindo and other stakeholders spoke at the National Mental Health Act Sensitisation workshop held on Wednesday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. The event was organised by the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria in collaboration with Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, and Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.  The President, while speaking on the Act, recalled the atrocities under the old…