Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Wednesday suspended its three-day strike after reaching a truce with the management of the Dangote Refinery. The industrial action, which had disrupted parts of the oil and gas sector since Monday, followed disagreements over the unionisation of some refinery workers. Announcing the suspension at a press briefing in Abuja, PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, said the strike was called off after a marathon meeting convened by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). Osifo disclosed that the resolution came after both parties signed a binding agreement, warning that…

 Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has granted amnesty to 36 inmates serving various sentences across the state’s correctional facilities as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary. The governor, in a proclamation dated September 24, 2025, exercised the constitutional powers vested in him under Section 212 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), describing the gesture as an act of compassion and renewal. According to a statement signed on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the decision followed the recommendations of the State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy. “Now Know Ye That, Senator (Dr.) Ademola Jackson Nurudeen…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday declared that Nigeria has “finally turned the corner” from years of fiscal mismanagement, insisting that the painful reforms introduced at the start of his administration are now yielding results. In a nationwide broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, Tinubu said his government inherited “a near-collapsed economy” when he assumed office on May 29, 2023, but chose to implement bold and unpopular reforms instead of “business as usual.” “As a new administration, we faced a simple choice: continue business as usual and watch our nation drift, or embark on a courageous, fundamental reform path,”…

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has demanded the immediate removal of the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, accusing him of disrespecting Nigeria and undermining security institutions by boycotting the 65th Independence Day celebration. Speaking on Wednesday at the Sani Abacha Stadium, where the official parade was held, Yusuf expressed outrage that the police chief and his personnel deliberately absented themselves from the state’s commemoration activities. “As you can see, on this historic day marking Nigeria’s independence, the Commissioner of Police decided to pull out of the parade along with his men,” the governor declared. He described Bakori’s conduct…

Troops of the 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army, in collaboration with operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested two men posing as mobile policemen while transporting large quantities of cannabis in Taraba State. The suspects were intercepted at Takum Junction in Wukari Local Government Area following credible intelligence, according to a statement on Wednesday by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Lt. Umar Muhammad. Muhammad said the two men were dressed in police uniforms and were caught with two Toyota Hilux vehicles loaded with cannabis. “Preliminary investigation revealed that none of the occupants are serving policemen.…

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has dismantled a major human trafficking syndicate operating through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, arresting five suspects and rescuing 24 victims in a dramatic sting operation. A statement issued by the information officer of NAPTIP Abuja, Vincent Adekoye stated that the operation, led on Wednesday by NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, lasted six hours and stunned unsuspecting travellers at the airport. Adekoye added that those arrested included a retired senior law enforcement officer, identified as a key member of a trafficking network allegedly operating across the South-West region.…

After two days of intense negotiations, the Federal Government on Tuesday brokered peace between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery over the controversial sack of more than 800 workers. The industrial dispute, which threatened to cripple operations at Africa’s largest refinery, followed PENGASSAN’s directive to members to halt gas supply and withdraw services in protest against what it described as the “unlawful termination of employment” of its members by the Dangote Group. But the company defended the disengagement exercise, insisting it was part of an ongoing organisational restructuring.…

Daud Olatunji  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday assured Nigerians that the country’s most difficult days are behind them, insisting that his reforms are beginning to yield results and that the nation is on the path to renewed prosperity. Delivering a national broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, Tinubu said his administration deliberately chose “the path of tomorrow over the comfort of today” since assuming office in May 2023. According to him, the tough choices, including the removal of fuel subsidies and unification of exchange rates, are now freeing up resources for infrastructure, education, healthcare, and social welfare. “I…

The face-off between organised labour and the management of a frontline refinery deepened on Tuesday as the company accused the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and its allies of seeking to undermine the dignity of over 230 million Nigerians with their actions. In a statement made available to PLATFORM TIMES, the refinery berated TUC and its affiliate unions, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), for allegedly weaponising industrial power to the detriment of national interest. The company insisted that unions, “regardless of size or wealth,” must not…

As Nigeria marked its 65th independence anniversary, Apostle Lawrence Achudume, General Overseer of Victory Life Bible Church International, has called on leaders to govern with empathy and align policies with the realities of ordinary citizens. Speaking with journalists in Abeokuta, the cleric reflected on the nation’s journey since independence, lamenting that despite Nigeria’s vast potential, many citizens are yet to feel the dividends of freedom. “At 65, Nigeria stands as a nation of immense potential – yet the dividends of freedom seem elusive for many ordinary Nigerians,” Achudume said. He noted the irony of Nigerians excelling abroad in diverse fields…