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Uduaghan Faults RMAFC Over Wages

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Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, has faulted the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) over its remuneration formula for political office holders in the country.

Uduaghan, who said this when delegation from the commission led by Dr. Tom Uloko presented the new remuneration for political office holders to him in Asaba, said the operative culture of the commission was faulty and against the principles of federalism.

He reminded the commission that governors and council chairmen were central in the implementation of remuneration for political office holders and civil servants; and that their inputs should form an integral part of any revenue formula.

The governor said it was wrong for the commission to force any form of remuneration on states and local governments without putting into consideration to their revenue profile an capacity to pay.

Dr. Uduaghan canvassed for sanity in the nation’s fiscal policy and said many states and local government might not be able to pay.

Meanwhile, the Delta State police command has foiled a robbery attempt by a 15-man gang on Unity Bank, Abraka, Ethiope East local government area.

Police image-maker, ASP Charles Muka, who confirmed the incident, said one policeman died as a result of injuries sustained during the incident and another was seriously injured.

The police, acting on a tip off, arrived at the scene and there was an exchange of fire, according to ASP Muka.

The incident, which took place at about 3.30am, caused panic among residents in nearby homes during the ensuring gunfight.

ASP Muka said the deceased cop was the driver of the patrol van. He said the injured driver drove the patrol van back to the office but died while receiving treatment at an undisclosed clinic.

Our correspondent learnt that the robbers were unable to break into the bank.

But a resident, who pleaded anonymity, informed our correspondent that the robbers arrived at the bank at about 12.00 am, adding that the robbery lasted for about three hours. Our correspondent learnt that the police team was tipped off by the guard on duty. He claimed the robbers gained access into the bank and escaped with undisclosed amount of money, but the police denied it.

Muka maintained that the police have launched a manhunt for the robbers as the command have lead information in the criminal gang.

He said the police were closing in on the gang.

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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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