Author: Platform Times Newspaper

In a heartfelt message, President Bola Tinubu has extended his heartfelt congratulations to Yeye Olufunke Daniel as she celebrates her 60th birthday. Marking her diamond jubilee, President Tinubu through his Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, expressed his sincere prayers for continuous blessings upon Yeye Daniel and her husband, Senator Gbenga Daniel, the former Governor of Ogun State. Acknowledging the unwavering support and prayers from Mrs. Daniel and her family, President Tinubu commended their commitment to faith, trust, and progressive ideals.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo,has instituted a ban on all government-funded foreign travels by agencies and officials under the ministry’s purview. Keyamo made this pronouncement in a significant move aimed at aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s directives who has banned Ministers from foreign trips. The directive, communicated through a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole, on Thursday. The step marks a pivotal shift in official travel protocols within the aviation sector. Keyamo underscored the necessity of adhering to President Tinubu’s mandate, which seeks to curtail public-funded overseas trips…

The Debt Management Office (DMO) has revealed that Nigeria’s public debt reached a staggering N97.341 trillion ($108.229 billion) as of December 31, 2023, in data released on Friday, March 22, 2024, in Abuja. This massive sum encompasses both domestic and external debt stocks of the Federal Government, the 36 states governments, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).  Notably, there has been a significant increase of N9.43 trillion compared to the figures reported on September 30, 2023. The surge in debt is primarily attributed to fresh domestic borrowing by the Federal Government to address deficits in the 2024 budget, alongside disbursements…

The Defence Headquarters says that troops have neutralised 106 terrorists and arrested 103 in different operations nationwide in the last one week. The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, said this while giving an update on the operations in a statement on Friday in Abuja. Buba said the troops also apprehended 22 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 96 kidnap victims. He added that troops recovered 171 assorted weapons and 2,452 rounds of ammunition during the operations. “The breakdown comprised 47 AK47 rifles, one PKT gun, 18 pump action rifles, 17 locally fabricated guns, 14 Dane guns, 12…

President Bola Tinubu on Friday urged Nigerians to patronise made-in-Nigeria products and services to sustain the recent gains of the naira in the foreign exchange market. Ngelale, who said the minimum wage negotiations are ongoing, warned that the efforts would be a “moot point, nullity…if we do not get a firm grip on the value of our currency.” He noted that while the administration is poised to arrive at a new minimum wage states can afford; it also wants it pegged at a number that is “sustainable over a number of years based on the long-term stability that we want…

The Ogun Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it will impound any vehicle found carrying human beings together with animals. Mr Anthony Uga, FRSC Sector Commander Ogun,  disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Ota, Ogun. Uga said the warning became necessary due to the ways drivers now transported human beings together with animals regardless of the obvious consequences. The sector commander said that the practice resulted to road accident fatalities. He said the FRSC had met with animal dealers at the Kara area on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway to enlighten them on…

Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has advised the 96 freed inmates not to terrorise the people of the state with criminality. The governor offered the advice in Bauchi on Friday while granting executive pardon for the inmates in pursuant to the exercise of his constitutional powers of Prerogative of Mercy. According to him, the decision to pardon the inmates is informed by a careful review of their records by the Committee of the Prerogative of Mercy. It confirmed the remorsefulness of the inmates of their misdeeds and the determination to become good citizens. Mohammed explained that he only pardoned…

Niger Republic has officially reopened its borders with Nigeria in the regions of Diffa, Tahoua, Maradi, and Dosso, marking the end of a closure initiated in the aftermath of the July 26, 2023 coup d’état and subsequent ECOWAS sanctions. The decision, communicated via a radio message broadcast on social networks by the Nigerien Ministry of Interior, instructed the governors of the border regions to authorize the reopening at precisely 12:00 midnight.  Additionally, the ministry emphasized the need for heightened controls and security measures along the 1,500-kilometer boundary. While Nigeria had reopened its border weeks earlier following the lifting of ECOWAS…

In a recent update, the Presidency has confirmed that negotiations for a new national minimum wage are currently underway.  Speaking to State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday, Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, shed light on the ongoing discussions. Ngelale emphasized that the administration is determined to establish a new minimum wage that all states across the federation can afford.  Moreover, the federal government aims to set a wage level that is sustainable over several years and is based on the long-term stability of the national currency. However, Ngelale…

Sixteen state governors have thrown their weight behind the establishment of state police forces as a measure to combat the escalating insecurity plaguing Nigeria.  This endorsement came to light following the 140th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), which was conducted virtually. Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, revealed this development during a briefing with State House Correspondents after the NEC meeting, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.  While Bagudu didn’t disclose the names of the endorsing governors, he indicated that out of the 36 states, 20 governors and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were yet to…