Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has raised concerns over a staggering 107,646 uncollected passports across the nation.  This revelation came from the Comptroller General of NIS, Kemi Nandap, through a statement issued by the service’s Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Udo. The NIS lamented the difficulty in reaching passport applicants despite numerous efforts, urging those whose passports have been produced to collect them from the various passport-issuing centers.  “Applicants are therefore strongly advised to always provide verifiable addresses and phone numbers when filling out their online passport application forms for easy contact,” stated Nandap. To facilitate the collection process, Nandap announced…

Dr. Rose Agwu, a Nigerian medical doctor, has voiced grave concerns over the alleged invasion of her home by Nigerian soldiers, who took away her teenage brother and sister.  This incident is part of a wider crackdown by the military following a deadly confrontation between soldiers and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). On Thursday, as hoodlums enforced a sit-at-home order declared by IPOB to commemorate Biafra Heroes Day, five soldiers were killed in an altercation at Obikabia Junction in Aba, Abia State.  In response, the Nigerian military pledged to aggressively pursue IPOB members and their militant wing,…

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has issued a notice warning of impending disconnections for several high-profile customers due to outstanding electricity bills.  The announcement, made on Saturday, lists 25 entities that must settle their debts by June 3, 2024, or face disconnection. Some of the affected  institutions include : Nigeria Army, Nigeria Airforce, Defence Headquarters (HQ), Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Kogi State Government, Niger State Government  Nigeria Police Force HQ and Nigerian Army Barracks. The notice reads “this is to inform the general public that AEDC will disconnect all customers with outstanding electricity bills on June 3, 2024.”…

The National Assembly has  disowned a purported bill circulating on social media, which allegedly seeks to revert Nigeria to a regional system of government.  This bill, purportedly titled “A Bill for an Act to Substitute the Annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with a New Governance Model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” has generated significant discussion and concern among citizens and political analysts. Several newspapers reported on Friday that there were plans underway to reintroduce a regional government system in Nigeria, and that the bill was expected to be passed into law before October 1, 2024.  The draft bill…

By Abdussalam Tolani “Among the believers are men true to their pledge to Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow (martyrdom) and he who awaits (his chance). And they didn’t change (the terms of their commitment to Allah) by any alteration”* Q.33: 23 Feeling the icy hands of Death is beyond human indices like wealth, piety, intelligence, social status or family edge. Divorced from passion or compassion, Death turns gains to pains, reduces grace to grass and tears our hearts into tears. If Death weren’t heartless, AbdulLateef Oladimeji Adegbite (“Adaba”; b. 1933 and d. 2012) should be…

Ogun State Government, in collaboration with national bodies, says it is intensifying efforts to sensitize officials on the importance of adhering to data protection laws.  The state Governor, Dapo Abiodun emphasized this necessity during the opening of a one-day workshop themed “Data Protection Act Compliance – An Imperative for A Vibrant Digital Economy.” PLATFORM TIMES reports that the workshop, held at the MITROS Banquet Hall in Abeokuta, aimed to educate government officials on the intricacies of the Data Protection Bill signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on June 12, 2023.  With the participation of the Ogun Bureau of Information…

Enoch Oyedibu Residents of Royal Gardens Estate on Lekki-Epe Expressway gathered en masse on Thursday to protest arbitrary charges, lack of transparency, accountability, and the use of bulk metering within the estate by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company in collusion with Trojan Estate Limited. The developers of the estate, Trojan Estate, currently managed by Rilwan Olakunle Tinubu, are alleged to have violated the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) 2015 regulations, which nullify the use of bulk metering in households under Sam Amadi, its former boss. The Commission agreed in 2015 with the Nigerian Senate’s position on the need to eliminate…

Daud Olatunji & Enoch Oyedibu The Debt Management Office (DMO) recently released a comprehensive report highlighting the staggering debt burden of the six Southwest states in Nigeria.  According to a document obtained, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Lagos, Ekiti, and Ondo states  collectively owe a whopping N4.4 trillion.  Breaking down the numbers provided by the DMO, the debt is categorized into domestic and external components.  PLATFORM TIMES reports that Domestic debt across the states amounts to N1.8 trillion, while external debt stands at a staggering N2.6 trillion, equivalent to N1.7 billion dollars.  Notably, the depreciation of the naira against the dollar has…

A transformative bill that proposes a return to a regional government structure in Nigeria is currently under consideration by the National Assembly.  Expected to be enacted by October 1, 2024, this bill aims to overhaul the nation’s governance model, reverting to a system that grants greater autonomy to Nigeria’s diverse regions. The draft bill, which has generated considerable discussion on social media, is titled “A Bill for an Act to Substitute the Annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with a New Governance Model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”  If passed, it would become known as the Constitution of the…

The Global Fund has allocated a significant grant of $933 million to Nigeria under its Grant Cycle 7 (GC7), spanning from 2024 to 2026.  This substantial funding aims to address the pervasive public health challenges posed by HIV, Tuberculosis (TB), and Malaria in the country. Of the total amount, $340,095,438 is specifically earmarked for HIV-related initiatives. The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) will receive $10,663,394 to spearhead the coordination of a comprehensive, multisectoral response to the HIV epidemic. NACA disclosed this development on Friday through a press statement signed by its Head of Public Relations and Protocol,…