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Reps To Intervene In Electricity Workers Looming Strike

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14 years ago

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The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved to intervene in the planned strike by the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE).

This followed a motion by Rep. Tajudeen Yusuf which was unanimously adopted when put to vote by Speaker Aminu Tambuwal.

Leading the debate, Yusuf urged the House to intervene in the demand by workers in the power sector for a 50-percent pay-off emoluments due to deregulation of the sector.

He said the Union had planned to embark on a one-day warning strike that would be disastrous to the nation.

It would be recalled  that the negotiated 50 per cent emolument had been a subject of dispute between the workers and the Federal Government for some time now.

But based on a directive by Vice President Namadi Sambo, a meeting was held on June 28 at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity.

The initiative was to fast-track the implementation of the negotiated agreement between the Federal Government and Labour Unions in the power sector.

Rep. Patrick Ikhariale said that the fears being expressed by workers in the sector over government’s deregulation efforts were not genuine.

He cautioned that reversing the process would take the country 10 years backward from what had been achieved so far since 2002 when the deregulation process began.

Ikhariale said though he was not opposed to the idea of advising the workers, as well as appealing to their conscience, there was need for caution.

Rep. Aminu Suleiman  who opposed Ikhariale’s view  accused the authorities of insincerity to implement the agreement reached with the workers’ union.

“If we allow complete privatisation of the sector as presently constituted, the whole workers stand the risk of losing their jobs,” he said.

Suleiman advised the House to immediately intervene while a permanent solution should be worked out.

Others who spoke on the motion were Mohammed Wudil, Zakari Mohammed and Babatunde Adejare.

Meanwhile, the House has given the Federal Ministry of Works two weeks to explain why the contract for the rehabilitation of the Benin-Auchi-Okene road had not been implemented several years after it was awarded.

It also directed the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), to as a matter of urgency, begin repairs on the road and others in bad shape in the country.

This followed a motion by Rep. Abubakar Momoh which was also unanimously adopted by the House.

He said that the portion of the highway which linked States in the South-South and the South East to Abuja now posed danger to motorists.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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4 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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4 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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4 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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