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Electricity Firm Loses Motion For Appeal

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13 years ago

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An Abuja High Court sitting in Lugbe last Wednesday struck out a motion for appeal and stay of execution brought against its earlier ruling by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Ltd. (NDPHC).

Justice Angela Otaluka said the NDPHC did not avail the court of the requisite valid evidence of the appeal which they purported to have filed.

She held that filing a motion for stay of proceedings and notice of intention to appeal against court’s earlier ruling without proof of actual appeal filed was an abuse of court process.

“For filing the motion for stay of proceedings and notice of appeal without evidence of the appeal filed at the appellate court, this application is hereby struck out.

“The High Court’s jurisdiction is deactivated, while that of the appeal court is activated only where such documents proving evidence of actual appeal filed are availed the court,” Otaluka said.

The defendant’s counsel, Mr Abdulwahhab Muhammed, had prayed for an order of the court to grant leave to the defendant to appeal the ruling of the court delivered on October 8, 2012.

He also sought an order of the court to stay further proceedings in the suit, pending hearing and determination of his client’s appeal against the said ruling.

It could be recalled that Mrs Florence Kalu of Lugbe Extension, Abuja, had sued the NDPHC for inadequate compensation on her property.

Kalu had prayed the court to compel the company to pay her N3.6 million being compensation for her building at Lugbe Extension which was taken over by NDPHC.

NDPHC counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed, argued that the company had adequately paid off the plaintiff with N2.2 million in line with the provisions of the Land Use Act.

He also brought a motion of preliminary objection before the court, saying that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

The court struck out the motion.

Mohammed also said that his client was a Federal Government parastatal and not a private company and so could pay compensation only in line with the Land Use Act.

The plaintiff’s counsel, Mrs Ifeyinwa Okonkwo, had argued that the compensation that was given to her client ought to be done on the basis of the open market value of the property.

She said that the NDPHC had short-changed her client by paying her compensation on the basis of the Land Use Act.

“NDPHC is not owned by government but is rather a limited liability company and so should pay compensation in accordance with the open market value of the property.”

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 days ago

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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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2 days ago

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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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2 days ago

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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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