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Mrs Amaechi Urges Cordial Relationship Between Commissioners, Perm Secs

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Wife of Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi has charged Permanent Secretaries in the State Civil Service to evolve cordial relationship with Commissioners in their respective ministries with a view to achieving the desired objectives of the state government.

Mrs Amaechi stated this when she received a delegation of the Permanent Secretaries Forum on a courtesy call in her office at Government House, Port Harcourt

The governor’s wife appeal is coming on the heels of age-long tussle between civil servants and politicians at all levels.

She said such harmonious relationship could accelerate development in the state.

“It is very important to have a team spirit, it is very good for high productivity, you must be supportive to yourselves and work in the best interest of the state”.

Dame Judith Amaechi stated that the Permanent Secretaries have enormous responsibility to guide and complement the government in policy implementation and execution.

“Your wealth of experience should be deployed to establishing worthy legacy in the sands of time that will remain evergreen in the memory of the citizenry”.

Narrating her ordeal during the domestic accident that left her with a fractured ankle, she attributed her recuperation to a demonstration of God’s love and compassion.

“My fracture took just 3 months to heal, am glad because there were projections that I will be on crutches for a year, but I thank God for his divine healing”.

Earlier, the head of the Permanent Secretaries Forum and the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Dame Mina Benebo said the group was in Government House to felicitate with the First Lady on her return to the state after a successful surgery on her leg.

“We are here to thank God for giving you healing and protection and to welcome you home after a successful operation, we are indeed happy”.

Dame Benebo also expressed appreciation to Mrs Amaechi for her effort in alleviating the plight of the less privileged through the Empowerment Support Initiative, a non­governmental organization founded by the governor’s wife. The Forum also offered intercessory prayer for the first family and the state.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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