Author: Platform Times Newspaper

By Suliyat Sulaimon The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially introduced the Health Technology Access Pool (HTAP) as the successor to the Covid-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP). It says the  WHO launched Initially in May 2020  in collaboration with the Government of Costa Rica and other partners, C-TAP aimed to ensure fair and reasonable access to COVID-19 health products worldwide. This platform facilitated the open sharing of intellectual property, knowledge, and data among technology partners, fostering technological innovation and expanding accessibility to COVID-19 tools. Despite encountering challenges in establishing a novel mechanism with limited resources during the pandemic, C-TAP successfully…

Oreoluwa Olaleye The Federal Ministry of Youth Development has affirmed its commitment to collaborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to address the challenges of substance abuse among Nigerian youths.  Minister of Youth Development, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, conveyed this during her visit to NDLEA’s national headquarters in Abuja, where she engaged in discussions with the Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd). Acknowledging the severity of drug-related issues, Marwa emphasized the pressing need for cooperation among various stakeholders, including Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), to combat substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking, linking them to the country’s…

By Ramotallahi Balogun Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) apprehended Udechukwu Ekene Theophilus, a Brazil returnee, at the Murtala Muhammad Airport (MMiA) in Ikeja, Lagos.  The arrest took place during routine passenger checks on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa. Refusing body verification, Ekene feigned sickness, raising health concerns, and attempting to evade arrest. Eventually complying with an excretion observation, he revealed 60 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.279 kilogrammes, excreted in five instances.  Ekene confessed to absorbing cocaine in Brazil, intending to deliver the entire consignment in Addis Ababa but managing to…

The former Deputy National Chairman of the party Chief Bode George, the  Peoples Democratic Party has  declared  that it will not enter into any alliance with opposition parties for the upcoming 2027 election. Addressing the media at a parley in Lagos on Wednesday, George not only emphasized the party’s commitment to independent candidacy but also weighed in on the potential candidacy of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in 2027.  He urged Atiku to reconsider his presidential ambition, citing concerns about age hindering effective service to the nation. While acknowledging Atiku’s right to contest, George underscored the necessity for the party…

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, says the agency has uncovered a religious sect laundering money for terrorists. Olukoyede, who made the revelation at a one-day dialogue on “Youth, Religion, and the Fight against Corruption.” on Wednesday in Abuja, also said N7 billion fraud proceeds was traced to another religious organization. He further said the EFCC had found religious organizations, institutions, sects, and bodies culpable of money laundering in the country. Olukoyede said one of such religious bodies dragged the commission to court to protect its leader after laundered money was traced to its bank…

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun says the present administration  has made  substantial investment and unwavering commitment to education in the  State.  The administration’s dedication has not only made the education sector functional but has also yielded results that foster seamless academic activities across all educational institutions in the state. Represented by Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, Governor Abiodun  at  the 32nd and 33rd joint Convocation ceremonies of Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago-Iwoye. He underscored the deliberate efforts of his administration to prioritize education, evident in the incorporation of a five-point agenda. Notable measures include timely approval and disbursement of monthly subvention to…

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has apprehended Abdul-Rahman Ibrahim, a man in his fifties, for engaging in fraudulent activities and impersonating high-ranking government officials, including the Comptroller-General of Customs.  The NCS spokesperson, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed the arrest on Monday, attributing it to intelligence gathered by the Customs Police Unit. According to the official statement released on Wednesday, Ibrahim exploited his impersonation tactics to deceive unsuspecting citizens, extracting over N1 million from them under the guise of providing ‘job appointment letters.’  The National PRO emphasized the gravity of the situation, underscoring the NCS’s commitment to curbing criminal elements exploiting the…

A shop owner was burnt to death on Tuesday while recovering his property from his shop at the Gusau Central Market, the state’s Fire Service said on Wednesday. Director of Zamfara Fire Service, Mr Abdullahi Dauran confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria in Gusau. “We received a report of the fire outbreak and deployed our men to the scene. “We were able to put the fire under control, but one person lost his life while trying to remove his properties from his shop. “We are investigating to ascertain the cause of the incident and to determine the…

…A symbol of modesty, empowerment for Muslim women. By Dr. Basirat Akintunde Hijab, meaning to cover, observes the Islamic idea of Awrah, which is the religion’s law of covering certain body parts, for both men and women. Hijab, thought to have originated from the Arabic term hajaba, meaning to conceal, refers to men and women needing to wear plain, loose-fitting attire to cover their bodies. Qur’an on Hijab  Such head coverings were worn by women in Arabia at the advent of Islam. Qur’an 33:59 tells Muhammad to ask his family members and other Muslim women to wear outer garments when…

Daud Olatunji In a stark warning, a Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party and a concerned citizen, Otunba Segun Showunmi has emphasized the pressing need to restructure the nation’s policing framework, saying,  the current situation is spiraling out of control. Expressing worry over potential vigilantism arising from delayed action, Showunmi condemned the dangerous trend of ethnically profiling crimes, asserting that crimes should be called what they are without resorting to tribal labels. Showunmi urged subnational security vote beneficiaries to recognize the nation’s descent into a precarious state, emphasizing the imperative for a comprehensive security framework to safeguard the people and…