Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A former Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Wande Abimbola, has called for sweeping reforms in Nigeria’s university system, insisting that Vice-Chancellors must be selected not only for academic titles but also for their capacity to attract funds and mobilise resources. Abimbola, a scholar of Ifa and former Presidential Adviser on Culture, stated this while featuring on Boiling Point Arena, an online interview discourse hosted by media professional and public relations strategist, Dr. Ayo Arowojolu. Drawing from his teaching experience in 10 American universities, including Harvard and Boston University, Abimbola said several institutions abroad appoint Vice-Chancellors — often referred…

The Parasitology and Public Health Society of Nigeria (PPSN), Southwest Zone, has warned that unsafe water remains a major driver of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Nigeria, insisting that drug-based interventions alone cannot achieve the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 2030 elimination targets. In a statement issued to mark the 2025 World Water Monitoring Day, observed annually on September 18, the Southwest Secretary of PPSN, Dr. Tajudeen Uthman, stressed that millions of Nigerians remain at risk of diseases such as schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, and trachoma due to poor sanitation, inadequate hygiene, and contaminated water sources. “The fight against NTDs cannot be…

…. Teenagers Filmed Smoking, Sharing Alcohol Bottles … Parents, Stakeholders Raise Alarm Over Rising Moral Decay The Lagos State Government has launched an investigation into a viral video showing some secondary school students smoking and consuming alcohol inside what appeared to be a hostel. The disturbing footage, which surfaced on social media earlier this week, captured a group of teenagers passing what looked like a cigarette among themselves while bottles suspected to contain alcohol were spotted around them. Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, in a statement on Wednesday, condemned the act, describing it as a gross violation…

The Vice President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Dr. Abdussobur Olayiwola Salaam, has dismissed claims that Nigerian universities are overstaffed with non-academic personnel, insisting that such views are based on ignorance and mischief. Dr. Salaam, a university administrator, said it is a global practice for non-teaching staff to outnumber their academic counterparts, citing data from universities in the United Kingdom and the United States. He explained that universities cannot function without the wide-ranging professional services of non-teaching staff who play critical roles beyond clerical duties. These include medical services, finance, administration, transportation, engineering, environmental management, security,…

A Katsina State High Court has sentenced the Director of Administration of the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA), Rabiu Musa Matazu, to five years in prison for diverting rent proceeds belonging to the agency. The conviction followed a three-year trial after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned Matazu on a four-count charge bordering on abuse of office and criminal breach of trust. ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, in a statement on Wednesday, said the conviction was a victory in the fight against corruption in public service. The prosecution, led by ICPC counsel Ibrahim Garba,…

… Victims Regain Freedom Without Ransom Payment … Residents Warn Against Temporary Govt Promises A notorious bandits’ commander, identified as Isya Akwashi Garwa, on Wednesday released 28 abducted residents of Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State following a controversial peace arrangement with local government officials. The freed hostages, who had been in captivity for weeks, were largely from Mairua, Kanen-haki, and Yar Dabaru communities, which have repeatedly suffered attacks and mass abductions. Garwa, who reportedly appeared at the handover meeting armed with an AK-47 and ammunition, surrendered the captives to council officials in Faskari in what authorities described as…

The Baagbimo of Ijebuland and Secretary of the Awujale Council of Chiefs, Prof. Chief Fassy Yusuf, has clarified that the Ifa oracle alone cannot determine the successor to the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona. Yusuf, who is also the Deputy Olori Ebi of the Fusengbuwa ruling house, said the decision rests squarely with the kingmakers and the ruling house, adding that a new monarch should emerge before the end of the year if there is no court injunction. Speaking on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, on Wednesday, Yusuf said: “The last…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Nigeria Police Force from tendering a DNA test result as evidence in an ongoing paternity case involving a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, and one Hadiza Baffa. Justice Inyang Ekwo, who issued the order on Tuesday, held that the police and other respondents must not rely on the contested DNA result pending the determination of the substantive suit filed by the ex-minister. Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, is locked in a legal battle with Baffa, who…

Two officials of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) have pleaded guilty before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to diverting salaries of former employees of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Meta. The defendants — Shola Onasanya, a Chief Accountant, and Halimat Olalere, a Principal Executive Officer of Accounts — were arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on an amended two-count charge of corruption and money laundering. The ICPC alleged that the duo exploited their positions at the FMC payroll desk between January and December 2023 to divert N1.17 million,…

The National Examinations Council (NECO) on Wednesday released the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results, with Kano, Lagos, and Oyo states emerging as the best-performing centres, even as the council vowed to sanction schools and supervisors indicted for examination malpractice. Registrar/Chief Executive of NECO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, who announced the results in Minna, said the council recorded significant improvement in performance and a sharp drop in malpractice cases compared to the previous year. According to him, 1,358,339 candidates sat for the June/July examinations out of the 1,367,210 registered candidates. Of this figure, 818,492 candidates (60.26%) obtained five credits and…