Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has assured depositors of the defunct Heritage Bank that challenges delaying access to guaranteed sums above N5 million are being resolved. NDIC managing director Bello Hassan gave the reassurance on Saturday during the 2024 edition of the NDIC Editors Forum in Lagos. Mr Hassan said the corporation was working diligently to facilitate payments. Mr Hassan explained that depositors above the maximum insured limit of N5 million were reimbursed through liquidation dividends derived from asset recovery and debt realisation efforts. “The corporation has initiated the process of debt recovery and realisation of investments as well as…

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has raised concerns over the Federal Government’s inability to meet its crude oil supply target under the naira-for-crude initiative. In an interview reported by Reuters, the Vice President of Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, lamented that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has consistently fallen short of delivering the agreed minimum of 385,000 barrels per day (bpd), a critical supply needed to sustain operations. “We need 650,000 barrels per day. NNPCL agreed to give a minimum of 385,000 bpd, but they are not even delivering that,” Edwin said, describing the current supply as “peanuts.” The…

The African Development Bank has onboarded 21 states, including Ogun, for the second phase of its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme, which aims to transform Nigeria’s agricultural landscape with an N850bn ($540m) investment. Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, disclosed this after the 146th National Economic Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, stating that the programme is expected to bolster food security and economic growth. He said, “The Council resolved and urged all states to key into this programme because it is a game changer. It will go a long way in tackling the Federal Government’s food security goals.”…

The Nigerian government’s sustained diplomatic efforts have led to the arrest of Simon Ekpa, a pro-Biafra agitator and Nigerian- Finnish citizen, by Finnish authorities. Ekpa, along with four others, was apprehended on Thursday on suspicion of terrorist activities linked to violence and instability in South-eastern Nigeria. The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed the development in a statement on Friday. According to him, the arrest followed extensive high-level engagements between Nigeria and Finland aimed at curbing  Ekpa’s alleged destabilizing activities in the region. “The arrest of Mr. Simon Njoku Ekpa follows sustained diplomatic pressure by the Nigerian…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has reiterated its December 1, 2024, deadline for all state governments to implement the new minimum wage of N70,000, warning that failure to comply will trigger an indefinite strike by workers in defaulting states. This position comes after the passage of the new minimum wage bill into law by President Bola Tinubu on July 29, 2024. The legislation raised the country’s minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000, aiming to cushion workers against the rising cost of living. On November 11, the NLC had initially set a November 30 deadline for implementation, which was later extended…

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in Ogun State, Chief Toyin Amuzu, has accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of neglecting the worsening security crisis in the state in favor of orchestrating politically motivated arrests. Amuzu condemned the detention of Gaffar Asaolu, an aide to Hon. Ladi Adebutu, calling it a diversionary tactic aimed at silencing opposition voices. Asaolu, the former Director of Finance for the Atiku-Okowa Campaign Committee during the 2023 elections, remains in detention despite what Amuzu described as a lack of evidence to justify the charges against him. Amuzu alleged that Asaolu’s arrest was part of a broader campaign…

The De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, a group of eminent Lagos indigenes, has called on the Lagos State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, to address its concerns regarding the proposed amendment to the Lagos State Law on Local Government Administration. In a press statement issued on Friday, November 22, 2024, the Foundation revisited its October 22 letter to the Speaker, detailing 22 observations on the Bill. The group emphasized that constitutional provisions and a recent Supreme Court ruling affirm the autonomy of local governments, insisting that the legislative framework must align with these principles. The Foundation criticized…

Daud Olatunji The Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ogun State, is set to make history at its 16th convocation ceremony by graduating 27 First-Class students and its first-ever 67 PhD holders, including an 85-year-old retired military colonel, Pa Bolaji Onafowokan, renowned for his determination and perseverance. Speaking at a pre-convocation press briefing on Friday, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wole Banjo, highlighted the institution’s milestones, which include graduating 4,140 students, commissioning a groundbreaking 800 KVA independent power plant, and honoring four prominent Nigerians for their significant contributions to education and the nation. “This year’s convocation is unique as it…

An  Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday, ordered the remand of a 29-year-old man, Kehinde Oyewale, at the Agodi Correctional Centre over allegations of raping a visually impaired woman. The defendant, a resident of the Elebu area in Moniya, Ibadan, was arraigned on a one-count charge of rape. Police prosecutor, Corporal David Adepoju, told the court that the offence was committed on November 11, 2024, at 12:39 p.m. at the victim’s residence. According to Adepoju, Oyewale unlawfully had carnal knowledge of the victim, a 50-year-old woman identified as Ms. B. Opeola, without her consent. The prosecutor…

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has announced the recovery of assets and cash worth N105.82 billion and the securing of 31 convictions between 2023 and 2024. The ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed this during an oversight visit by the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, led by its Chairman, Hon. Kayode Akiolu, on Wednesday. Providing a breakdown, Aliyu revealed that the Commission received 2,038 petitions within the period, with 1,187 cases recorded in 2023 and 851 cases between January and October 2024. The agency secured 18 convictions in 2023 and an additional 13…