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Reps To Investigate Withdrawal Of NAFDAC, SON From Sea Ports

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14 years ago

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The House of Representatives on yesterday mandated the Joint Committees on Health,Industry and Drug and Nacotics to investigate the withdrawal of NAFDAC and Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) from the nations’s sea ports.

Newsmen report that the committees are expected to report their findings to the House within two weeks.

It recalls that President Goodluck Jonathan on Oct. 10 approved the withdrawal of 10 government agencies from the country’s seaports for non-compliance with international best practices.

This resolution emanated from a motion by Rep. Uzor Azubuike (PDP-Abia) which was unanimously adopted.

Leading the debate, Azubuike noted that it would be out of place to eject relevant agencies like NAFDAC and SON from the ports in view of the fight against fake and adulterated drugs.

He urged members of the House to support the motion in order to allow the agencies perform their constitutional duties at the ports.

Rep. Joseph Haruna (CPC-Nasarawa), who supported the motion, argued that the agencies’ role was crucial to the fight against fake drugs in the country.

“I think that NAFDAC should remain at our borders to check substandard goods coming into the country,’’ he said.

Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila (ACN-Lagos), the Minoriy Leader, suggested a review of laws guiding the operations of the agencies to check the rate at which the executive arm of government took decisions on them.

He noted that the mere proposal of motions on the floor of the House would not have much effect.

Rep. Asita Honourable (PDP-Rivers), said that there was a need for the executive arm to explain to the House why the decision was taken.

He said that what government ought to do now was to strengthen the agencies instead of withdrawing them from the sea ports.

Rep. Leo Ogor (PDP-Delta), the Deputy Leader, argued that in as much as there was a need to discourage physical inspection at our ports, withdrawing the agencies could be detrimental to the nation’s interests.

In another motion, the House mandated its committee on Health to investigate alleged N17 billion contract for the purchase of hospital equipment for Federal Medical Centres across the country.

This was sequel to a motion by Rep. Patrick Ikhariale (PDP-Edo), which was adopted by the House.

Leading the debate, Ikhariale said that the contract was awarded in 2005 with the first consignment laying idle and obsolete.

He noted that no contract awarded by government without any time frame.

Meanwhile, the House has mandated its committee on Federal Character to investigate the alleged lopsidedness in the award of federal government projects across the country.

The committee is also expected to report to the House in two weeks.

Similarly, the House has also mandated its committee on States and Local Governments to investigate the alleged illegal actions of some local government officials on federal roads.

It also urged the Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, to rid the federal highways of the local government tax collectors.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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22 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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23 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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23 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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