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Pensioners Decry Non-Implementation Of 33.3% Increase

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12 years ago

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The Nigeria Union of Pen
sioners (NUP), has called on the Federal Government to implement the 33.3 per cent increase in pension entitlement.
The National President of NUP, Abel Afolayan, made the call at a send off forum for some ex-officials of the union in Abuja.
Afolayan described the non-payment, despite a directive by the Presidency that the money be paid to the affected pensioners without delay, as unfortunate.
He said that government promised to increase the allowance of the pensioners by 53 per cent, after concluding the negotiation of the minimum wages of workers to N18,000.
He said the economic exigencies in the country and the outcry that greeted the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage allowed the pensioners to settle for 33.3 per cent.
The NUP president said that despite the maturity displayed by the union, the federal government had not been able to fully implement the agreement.
Afolayan said those who retired from the military were already enjoying their package, but that other retirees from the civil service were yet to get any payment.
“Arising from the N18,000 per month minimum wage, what the constitution stipulates is that there must be corresponding increase in pension anytime there is increase in wages and salaries.
“Section 173 sub-section 3 and section 200 sub-section 3 stipulate that pension should be increased accordingly.
“Initially, we thought it was going to be 53.3 per cent, but government said what workers actually took was 33 per cent, because tax was deducted from it.
“These were 10 per cent of PENCOM contribution, 7.5 per cent of National Housing Scheme, and another 2.5 per cent.
“It was all these that summed up to 20 per cent. That was how the government arrived at 33.3 per cent.
“We have great respect for Mr President because the NLC and TUC led us to the President, where he ordered that our entire problem must be addressed immediately.
“So, he set up a committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), but since then, it has been meeting upon meeting.
“It is unfortunate that till date, the matter has not been resolved”, he said.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 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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2 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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2 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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