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Bailout: Workers Hail Assembly’s Approval Of N25.7bn Bond

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10 years ago

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Some civil servants in
Nasarawa State have commended the House of Assembly for approving N25.75 billion loan to settle the backlog of staff salaries in the state.
The civil servants said in Karu  that the loan would help to alleviate the burden on the state civil servants.
A civil servant, Mr Bulus Thomas, said that the non-payment of staff salaries had taken heavy toll on the workers.
Thomas urged the state government to use the funds to clear the backlog of salaries across the state to improve the workers’ standard of living.
“I am a local government staff and I want to commend Gov. Tanko Al-Makura for having the interest of workers at heart.
“We thank God that the governor has requested the state legislature to approve over N25 billion to enable him clear the outstanding workers salaries.
“We heard from the radio and we read from the pages of the newspapers that the state legislature has approved the said amount,’’ Thomas said.
He commended the state lawmakers for their quick action toward approving the loan to make life comfortable for them.
Thomas expressed optimism that the bailout fund, when accessed by the state government, would put an end completely to the issue of percentage payment of local government staff salaries.
Another civil servant, George Audu, also commended the state legislators for passing resolutions that had direct bearing on the lives of the people of the state.
Audu appealed to the state government to also look into the issue of staff promotion in order to boost productivity.
Also a civil servant, Mrs Litini Ayuba, said: “I got relief when I heard the news that the state assembly has approved over N25 billion bailout loan for the state government in order to clear our outstanding salaries.
“I believe that the loan, if accessed, will not only improve on the standard of living of workers but will also boost the socio-economic development of the state.
“So, I give kudos to Gov. Al-Makura and the state lawmakers for their wise decision toward reducing our plight,” Ayuba said.
Some of the civil servants, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, advised the state government not to divert the funds, when accessed.
“We implore you to use the funds for the payment of staff outstanding salaries as contained in the loan request letter,’’ they said.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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18 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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18 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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18 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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