Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji  Renowned Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, issued a resolute statement on Sunday, affirming that President Bola Tinubu would not tolerate the lawlessness that resulted in herders killing farmers during the immediate past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. Igboho strongly cautioned herders against contemplating further attacks on farmers in the Southwest, responding to comments made by the national president of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, who dismissed Igboho’s recent quit notice to Fulani herders to vacate the Southwest. In October, Igboho had given Fulani herders a seven-day ultimatum to leave the…

Daud Olatunji In a resolute stand, Umar Damagum, the Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declared that the National Working Committee (NWC) under his leadership will refrain from suspending or dismissing any ‘disloyal’ members. He added that  he was not planning to suspend or expel  former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike. Addressing the PDP Mobilisers Group in Abuja, Damagum brushed aside calls for sanctions, emphasizing the party’s commitment to reconciliation. The recent clamor for disciplinary actions against Wike and others stemmed from allegations of anti-party activities during the recent general elections. However, Damagum clarified that the NWC had…

In a resolute effort to eliminate the persistent challenge of examination malpractice, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, the Registrar/Chief Executive of the National Examination Council (NECO), has revealed an array of comprehensive measures instituted to combat malpractices in the ongoing 2023 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) for external candidates. The Acting Director of Information and Digital Communication at NECO, Azeez Sani, conveyed this message through a compelling statement, urging the 74,819 candidates currently undertaking the exams to eschew any form of malpractice. “The Registrar, engaged in nationwide monitoring of the examination, has meticulously implemented necessary measures to ensure the seamless…

In a distressing incident, 13-year-old Miracle Adereti Kolawole, a female student, was abducted by an unidentified gang on her way back from school in the Ikotun area of Lagos. The incident occurred last Friday, December 1, prompting an intensified manhunt by the police to apprehend the kidnappers. Miracle’s father, Mr. Adereti Oluwadare Segun, recounted the harrowing experience, revealing that he dropped Miracle and her younger sister at the bus stop in the morning, as the school bus usually picked them up. However, he received a distress call in the afternoon notifying him of Miracle’s abduction on her way back home.…

Daud Olatunji In a bid to promote community health and well-being, the non-governmental organization (NGO) Glam Golden Divas Club recently kicked off its 2023 medical outreach in Lagos, advocating for increased attention to health among Nigerians.  The club’s president, Mrs Zino Akinrefon, emphasized the importance of good health as a cornerstone of wealth during the launch, which also included a visit to an orphanage. Focusing on grassroots communities, particularly the less privileged, the club conducted a screening and treatment session for over 100 market men and women in Idimu market, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.  The initiative aimed…

Femi Onasanya Some years ago during my post graduate studies in the premier University of Ibadan, Department of Communication and Language Arts, I heard a story which remains with me till date about how to distinguish between growth and development. The class was Development Communication to be precise. There was this very remote village in a State which the lecturer didn’t mention where the people suddenly discovered that the government was planning to build a school for their children. The villagers prostested against government’s move just as they insisted that all they needed was a motor park, not a school.…

Daud Olatunji In a groundbreaking announcement, president of the ongo­ing 28th meeting of the United Nations Conference of the Par­ties (COP28), President Sultan Al-Jaber reveals a historic commitment from 117 countries to triple the world’s renewable energy capacity by 2030.  The non-binding agreement aims to collectively double the global energy efficiency rate, urging urgent collaboration to shift away from unabated coal. President Al-Jaber emphasizes the critical need to fix current energy practices, mitigate emissions on a gigaton scale, and rapidly transition to zero-carbon alternatives.  He said this while speaking at the World Climate Action Summit at the ongoing COP28 in…

In a startling revelation, Mr. James Lalu, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons With Disabilities (NCPWD), disclosed that a staggering 35.1 million Nigerians are currently living with disabilities.  This revelation was made during a one-day program held in the southeast region, focused on issuing permanent certificates to persons with disabilities. Represented by Mr. Ikem Uchegbulam, the acting Director of Compliance and Enforcement at the commission, Lalu based the figure on a report from the World Health Organization (WHO).  The programme aimed at sensitizing individuals with disabilities emphasized the importance of certification, aligning with Section 28 of…

Daud Olatunji The Ogun State government has closed down three companies—Ruili Recycling Limited in Mowe, Robust International PTE Limited also in Mowe, and Star Pipe Limited in Sagamu,citing various environmental infractions. Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, revealed that Ruili Recycling, a pet bottle recycling company, was found guilty of discharging waste and stormwater into their immediate environment, notably affecting Christopher University premises.  The company failed to obtain drainage approval, leading to the exposure of students to potential dangers.  Additionally, the company was burning solid wastes on-site, violating state environmental laws and posing risks to workers and nearby residents. Regarding Robust…

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has issued a weather forecast indicating a three-day weather pattern across the nation. NiMet’s Weather Outlook, disclosed in Abuja on Saturday, projects dust hazes over the northern region from Sunday extending through Tuesday. While the North Central region is expected to experience sunny skies with a hazy atmosphere during this period, the inland states of the South and the coastal belt are predicted to have cloudy skies with intervals of sunshine in the morning. Later in the afternoon and evening, localized thunderstorms are anticipated over specific areas in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, and Akwa…