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Federal Retirees Decry Non-Payment Of Pensions

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13 years ago

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Some pensioners who retired from the public service in the country have continued to bemoan the non-payment of their monthly pensions and arrears.

The pensioners, who spoke in Lagos on Saturday, said that after receiving their gratuity, efforts to get their monthly pensions had failed.

Mr Iyiola Bello said that he retired from the National Bureau of Statistics in 2002 and was paid his gratuity but had not been receiving his pension.

“I have written letters and filled necessary forms but nothing has been done.

“I appeal to the Federal Government to look into the issue so that those who are supposed to ensure the payment of my pension will do so,’’ Bello said.

He said that it had been difficult for him to cater for his family without earning any money after working for many years.

Another retiree, Mr Banjoko Ogungbe, who left the service on Grade Level 14 in 2003, said that it took him about three years to get his gratuity after leaving the service.

“I wrote letters of complaint before my gratuity was paid.

“While in the U.S. some officials from pension office came to conduct a verification exercise and I was verified after which I started receiving only N20, 000 monthly as pension.

Ogungbe appealed to the relevant authorities not only to pay the arrears of his pension, but also to give him his correct monthly entitlements on schedule.

Mr Linus Urata, another retiree, who left the public service in 2004 on Grade Level 5, said that he was paid his gratuity and received his pension until 2011.

“ I have not been paid my pension since 2011. In 2010, we were verified but up till now, no money has been paid to me,’’ he said.

Another pensioner, who sought anonymity, said that he retired from the Federal Ministry of Works in 1995 and since the 2011 verification exercise, he had not been paid his pension.

“I had been collecting my pension until the pension commission carried out the usual verification and since January 2011 I have not been paid,’’ he said.

Mr Sunday Job, a pensioner and former President, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) appealed to the Chairman, Pension Tax Force to ensure that the problem of nonpayment of pensioners was solved within a short time.

“I believe that if this issue of non-payment of pensions is looked into and the payrolls are cross checked, it will not take up to 30 days for all those affected to be paid,’’ he said.

He noted that many pensioners were dying as a result of inadequate care and lack of money.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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3 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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3 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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3 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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