Author: Platform Times Newspaper

… They Remain Awori Guests,Not Indigenes- Olota Ibrahim Olamilekan & Uthman Akinola Tensions are escalating in Ogun State as the Gbalefa Traditional Council of Baales in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government has accused the Olota of Ota, Oba Adeyemi Obalanlege, of encroaching on their lands and attempting to assert control over Egba/Egbado communities. The chiefs have called on the state Governor, Dapo Abiodun to intervene swiftly to avert a potential crisis. Speaking at a press conference in Abeokuta on Wednesday, the General Secretary of the Gbalefa Traditional Council, Chief Olaniyi Mosaku, alleged that the Olota has been illegally installing Baales in…

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has announced the disbursement of N1.41 trillion among the federal, state, and local governments for October 2024, marking an increase of N113 billion from the N1.29 trillion shared in September. The allocation was disclosed in a communique issued on Wednesday after the FAAC’s monthly meeting chaired by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein. The meeting followed the 2024 National Council on Finance and Economic Development (NACOFED) hosted by the Bauchi State Government. According to the communique, the total gross revenue for October stood at N2.668 trillion. The distributable revenue comprised gross statutory revenue…

Daud Olatunji Over the past five years, Nigeria has grappled with the devastating impacts of climate change, suffering significant losses in human lives, properties, and economic assets. Data from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other related agencies reveal a grim picture of escalating natural disasters fueled by global warming, poor environmental policies, and insufficient disaster preparedness. Between 2020 and 2024, climate-related events have cost the nation billions of naira, displaced millions, and left trails of destruction in nearly every region. … Floods: A Recurring Nightmare Among the most catastrophic events were the floods that wreaked havoc across Nigeria.…

Daud Olatunji At the heart of the ongoing United Nations Climate Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, made a compelling case for climate justice. Addressing over 60,000 delegates gathered to tackle the global climate crisis, Lawal declared, “Our people are suffering for emissions they did not create.” His words underscored the unequal burden borne by nations like Nigeria, which contribute minimally to global emissions yet face the brunt of climate change’s devastating impacts. … A Crisis Rooted in Injustice Nigeria, like much of Africa, accounts for less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, the…

Professor Victor Makinde, a distinguished scholar in Applied Geophysics at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has sounded an alarm over unregulated borehole drilling in Nigeria, warning that the practice could trigger environmental disasters and public health crises. Delivering FUNAAB’s 95th Inaugural Lecture on Wednesday, titled “Beneath the Waves: Resolving Ambiguities in the Petrologic Supermarket,” Prof. Makinde urged the government to establish robust regulatory frameworks to monitor borehole drilling activities. He emphasized the necessity for mandatory registration of all borehole projects by organizations and drillers, which he said would ensure accountability and maintain high standards in water sourcing. “Groundwater…

The West African Examination Council has banned 13 schools in Kogi State for various examination malpractices in the 2023/2024 examinations. The state’s Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, made the disclosure during a meeting with some principals and supervisors indicted by the council for the examination malpractices. The commissioner also disclosed that the council had blacklisted 14 supervisors for various degrees of malpractice in the 2023/2024 West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the state. According to him, the government vowed to sanction principals, teachers and supervisors who engaged in or aided examination malpractices in the state. Mr Jones emphasised…

The federal government says Nigerian children suffer poverty more than adults and are likely to be deprived of all 10 of the multidimensional poverty indicators. Senator Abubakar Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2024 World Children’s Day celebration with the theme “Listen to the Future”. The day, a United Nations observance day, is commemorated on November 20 every year to promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide and improve their welfare. At the 2024 commemoration, celebrated by the federal government, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other stakeholders,…

A top court in the British Virgin Islands has granted Chinese investors Zhongshan the authority to seize £20 million ($25 million) from Nigeria’s foreign denominated assets over an Ogun trade zone deal that fell through in the early 2000s under then governor Ibikunle Amosun. Justice Paul Webster of the British Virgin Islands High Court on November 8 held that Nigeria was not immune to execution of an arbitral award and subsequent judgment debt in favour of a Chinese company Zhongshan as a result of the wording of the underlying bilateral investment treaty concluded between China and Nigeria. The judge held…

The Ogun State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Abioro Itunu Temitayo, has announced his resignation, citing overwhelming pressures and personal fatigue as the reasons for stepping down. In a heartfelt letter addressed to the party leadership, Abioro expressed his admiration for the ADC’s structure, support system, and ideology, while acknowledging the immense demands of his position. “I love absolutely everything about this political party; the structures, the support, and everyone who has helped in making this party great, from the National Chairman, High Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, all the way to the ward chairmen,” Abioro wrote. “But there…

Febe Falodun & Deborah Hundenu The Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, descended into chaos on Wednesday, as two opposing factions among the hospital staff clashed over the retirement of the Head of Administration, Mr. David Akaraiwe. The tense atmosphere exposed deep divisions over the outgoing HOD’s controversial policies and leadership style. Members of the Senior Staff Association of the University Teaching Hospital, dressed in black attire, staged a symbolic protest against Akaraiwe, condemning him as an authoritarian leader whose policies negatively impacted staff welfare. However, the HOD’s supporters, dressed in white, rallied around him, praising his tenure and celebrating his…