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RSG Plans Fiscal Responsibility Law

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16 years ago

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A fiscal responsibility, finance control and management law is being proposed by the Rivers State Government to ensure an effective finance management system in the state.

Briefing Government House Correspondents on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting in Port Harcourt, the State Commissioner for Urban Development, Mr. Osima Ginah said already the State Ministry of Justice has been directed to draft the proposed bill for onward presentation to the State House of Assembly.

Mr. Ginah said in issuing the directive, the council took cognizance of the need for accountability and fiscal responsibility, stressing that when the laws become operational they would ensure effective financial control and management in the state.

According to him, the Federal Constitution provided that the Fiscal Responsibility Law and the Finance Control and Management Law that are operational at the federal level could be domiciled at the state level.

The Urban Development Commissioner said the Executive Council also deliberated on the forthcoming National Sports festival tagged “Garden City 2010” to be held in Port Harcourt and urged the Ministry of Sports to ensure speedy reconstruction of the Liberation Stadium, Elekahia, the major venue of the festival.

The Executive Council, he said, frowned at the abandonment of the contract for the expansion of the stadium and also directed the Ministry to ensure that the contractor moves to site or have the contract revoked.

On the issue of waste management in the state, Mr. Ginah hinted that that Executive Council expressed concern over the reckless disposal of medical and household wastes and consequently asked the Ministry of Environment to come up with a proposed bill to provide the necessary legislative framework for effective waste disposal.

The Commissioner said the Ministry of Urban Development was equally directed to ensure proper payment of compensation to persons affected in the proposed demolition of water fronts under the state government’s urban renewal programme.

National Sales Manager, Dansa Foods Ltd, Mr. Pritam Shetty (centre) making a point while the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Kumar and its Port Harcourt Regional Manager, Mr. Tunde Olaoye (left and right respectively) listen at an interactive session with distributors and stakeholders in Port Harcourt last Wednesday. Photo: King Osila

National Sales Manager, Dansa Foods Ltd, Mr. Pritam Shetty (centre) making a point while the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Kumar and its Port Harcourt Regional Manager, Mr. Tunde Olaoye (left and right respectively) listen at an interactive session with distributors and stakeholders in Port Harcourt last Wednesday. Photo: King Osila

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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