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Siemens Scam: EFCC Summons 3 Former Ministers

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In its bid to investigate the involvement of some prominent Nigerians in the 17.5million Euro Siemens bribery scam, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), has summoned for interrogation, three former ministers who are allegedly involved in the scandal.

Chairman of the EFCC, Mrs Farida Waziri disclosed this on Wednesday, when she fielded questions from journalists while receiving executive members of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization Europe, NIDOE, who paid her a courtesy visit in her office.

 She said that the three former ministers were invited for interrogation to establish the roles they allegedly played in the scam.

Waziri said  that contrary to some media reports that EFCC newly re-opened the bribery scam, the Commission had been on top of the case.

She disclosed that the recent conviction of some people involved in the case by a German court in Munich , has thrown up a new vista in the case.

“Actually, that case was never closed and has been on-going; however the conviction of some people in Munich , Germany has changed the scenario and will help us identify more people involved. We are waiting to get a certified true copy of the judgment.” she said.

The Siemens 17.5million euro scandal was uncovered in 2009 by the  German police after invading the headquarters of the company in Germany over allegations of bribing some Nigerians, Libyans and Russians in its bid to get contracts.

Waziri said that the EFCC will get to the root of the scandal and prosecute whoever is found to have soiled his hands in respect of the case.

 Waziri, while thanking the representatives of  Nigerians in Diaspora for their visit,  stressed that they are in very vantage positions to re-orientate the outside world about the activities of the EFCC and that not all Nigerians are fraudsters.

She reiterated her call on all Nigerians to take actions against the menace of economic crimes and corruption,  saying they are the direct victims of all the negative effects of the menace. She also urged Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora to join in the task of fighting corrupt practices and ignore the campaign of calumny against the EFCC and its principal officers.

In his response, the Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Organization, Europe, Alistair Soyode, who is also the founder and Chair of BenTV, United Kingdom , commended the EFCC for its multiple achievements in its anti-graft war.

 He also appreciated the immense efforts being made by Waziri to make the EFCC a modern and globally-competitive anti-graft agency.

“We believe you are doing something, we believe we saw something positive you have done and we believe we can do something to contribute in this fight”, he said.

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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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