Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, has called for the strategic harnessing of Nigeria’s agricultural potential to drive economic transformation. He made this assertion during the 2024 Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Ogun State Council Press Week’s Opening Ceremony and Symposium held on December 9, 2024, at the Aremo Olusegun Osoba Hall, Iwe-Iroyin, Abeokuta. Speaking as a panelist at the event themed “Unlocking the Potential of Agriculture for Economic Development: The Roles of the Media,” Prof. Kehinde highlighted the nation’s youthful population, favourable weather, fertile soil, and diverse crop varieties as…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has announced that rehabilitation work on the new Port Harcourt refinery has reached over 90 percent completion. Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, disclosed this during a visit by leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to the refinery facility in Rivers State. Represented by Isiyaku Abudulai, NNPC’s Executive Vice-President, Downstream, Kyari expressed optimism about the refinery’s rehabilitation progress. “When the rehabilitation is completed, it will be up and running and comparable to any state-of-the-art refinery worldwide,” he said. “There will be compliance with health and…

The Edo State Accountant-General, Julius Anelu, has disclosed that the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki left behind an internal debt of over N1 trillion and an external debt of N282 billion. Anelu revealed this during a meeting with the Edo State Assets Verification Committee, attributing the sharp rise in the debt profile to the depreciation of the naira. He explained that at the time the loans were taken, the naira’s value was significantly stronger, making repayments more challenging under current economic conditions. Speaking to the committee, Anelu assured members of his office’s commitment to providing comprehensive financial records and…

The Nigerian Police Force has disclosed plans to arrest 601 individuals linked to a technical glitch that caused fintech company Flutterwave to lose N21.2 billion in unauthorised transactions last year. The glitch, which occurred between October 12 and 13, 2023, reportedly allowed over 9,663 unauthorised transactions by point-of-sale (POS) merchants, enabling them to conduct transactions exceeding their available balances. In response, Flutterwave launched an immediate recovery operation, reporting the breach to the police and collaborating with Wema Bank and other financial institutions to halt the processing of settlement accounts linked to the fraudulent activities. These efforts helped the company recover…

A pastor in Edo State has been arrested and publicly paraded by community members after being accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with a married woman. PLATFORM TIMES reports that the  incident, was captured in several videos circulating online. The pastor, whose identity was not disclosed at the time of filing this report, allegedly had an affair with a married female chorister, raising questions about his role in the community. Unconfirmed reports claim the alleged relationship had lasted for 11 years, and that the pastor even officiated the woman’s wedding. In one of the videos shared online, locals are…

 A groundbreaking study has revealed that child marriage is costing Nigeria over ₦3.5 trillion annually and claiming tens of thousands of lives. The research, conducted by the Childlight Global Child Safety Institute, is the first to calculate the economic and societal burden of child marriage in Nigeria. Published in the journal Child Abuse and Neglect, the study highlights the devastating consequences of the practice, which affects 42% of Nigerian women. In 2019 alone, child marriage contributed to the deaths of nearly 40,000 children under five, born to child brides, while approximately 3,489 adolescent girls died due to pregnancy and childbirth…

Governor Abba Yusuf has promised to secure certificates for stranded Kano graduates in Cyprus. The governor announced this in a statement on Monday. The statement said Mr Yusuf was in Cyprus to address the students’ long-standing. The students have been unable to obtain their academic certificates due to unpaid tuition fees by the immediate past administration. “Yusuf held a crucial meeting with the management of Near East University to discuss the release of the certificates to the students who graduated between 2015 and 2019. “Many of these graduates, particularly those who studied medicine and nursing, have been unable to advance…

Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri, has sentenced Aisha Alkali Wakil, widely known as “Mama Boko Haram,” and two others to five years imprisonment each for a N6 million fraud. The convicts, including Wakil, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Complete Care and Aid Foundation, a non-governmental organization, were found guilty of cheating, conspiracy, and providing false information. The court delivered its judgment on November 28, 2024, also sentencing Tahiru Saidu Daura, the Programme Manager, and Prince Lawal Shoyode, the Country Director of the NGO, alongside Wakil. The case stemmed from allegations that the…

Daud Olatunji Trouble is brewing in Ogun State following the introduction of new levies targeting broadcast stations by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development (MPP&UD). PLATFORM TIMES reports that the development has sparked widespread concern among broadcasters, who fear the move could stifle media operations in the state. Sources within the Ministry revealed that the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tpl. Olatunji Odunlami, had unveiled the levies during a briefing with senior officials few months ago. According to these sources, the commissioner justified the levies as part of efforts to boost the Ministry’s Internally Generated Revenue…

It is with a profound sense of responsibility and an unwavering commitment to truth that we, the MuslimRights Concern (MURIC), Ogun State Chapter, under the leadership of Alhaji Tajudeen Jimoh Alao (AAN), issue this rejoinder to address the recent misrepresentation and unjust blackmail of MURIC and its esteemed Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Lakin Akintola, by Professor Anthony Kila, the Director of the Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS). Professor Kila’s recent comments, as published in some national newspapers, are not only misleading but also deeply damaging to the reputation of MURIC, an organization that has consistently championed…