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Police, Taskforce Clash Averted

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16 years ago

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A bloody clash between the Police and members of the road traffic decongestion committee of Emohua Local Government of Rivers State was averted last week by the timely intervention of the council’s supervisor for transport, Wenenda Agbagbo.
The policemen fully armed had trooped into the council to rescue a Cocacola truck impounded by members of the taskforce on the allegation of illegal parking.
The Mobile Policemen numbering about six were accompanied by three representatives of Cocacola, including the driver of the truck and the depot manager.
At the council, the mobile Police had questioned the taskforce, why the truck should be impounded, arguing that there was no enough reason for the truck to be packed over night at the council.
The Taskforce justified their action and there was tension as both parties warm up for a clash. The unfortunate scenario attracted the attention of the council’s Supervisor for transport, Mr. Agbagbo, who instantly invited the disagreeing groups for amicable settlement in his office.
In his defence, the taskforce leader, one Dan Awuse alleged the said truck was impounded on ground of wrong packing and road obstruction, an offence he said that is punishable, resulting in towing the truck to the council premises.
The taskforce had demanded for the payment of N60,000 as fine for the offence for which the Cocacola company had initially paid the sum of N10,000.
Leader of the Police team, who is a Corporal (name withheld) explained that he accompanied the depot manager the previous day for the release of the truck, but frowned at the poor attitude of the taskforce committee resulting in the re-inforcement of police personnel.
He said there was no evidence of wrong parking and as alleged by the taskforce, adding that the initial payment of N10,000 was not made in respect of the offence.
The Police had insisted that the truck be released without any further payment and delay which almost disrupted the settlement.
In his speech, the supervisor, Mr. Wenenda advised the taskforce committee to be honest in the discharge of their duties, and warned against victimising anybody.
He told the police to see the taskforce as partners on tackling congestion on the road.
The supervisor however pleaded with the taskforce for the release of the said truck without payment of another fee.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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18 hours 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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18 hours 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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18 hours 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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