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NCSU Boss Hails Wike’s Appointment Of New Perm Secs …As Union Suspends Members

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10 years ago

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The Rivers State Chairman of
the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Comrade O.T. Lilly- West, has commended Governor Nyesom Wike for the recent appointment of 12 new Permanent Secretaries in the State, describing the gesture as a welcome development.
Lilly-West, who gave the commendation in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt said the appointment of the new Permanent Secretaries was long expected, stressing that it was a demonstration of the governor’s zeal and commitment to move the State Civil Service forward.
According to him, the gesture would go a long way to further motivate the workforce, as it was a product of hard work often demonstrated by the appointees in the discharge of their duties.
While congratulating the new Permanent Secretaries on their meritorious appointment, the NCSU boss charged them to see themselves as first among equals and to use their new offices to render dedicated and selfless services to the state.
Lilly-West also thanked Governor Wike for presenting 64 patrol vans to security agencies, adding that the gesture would go a long way to boost security in the State, and assured the governor of the continuous support of civil servants to his administration.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Rivers State council, has suspended indefinitely some members of the union for engaging in what it described as anti-union activities.
The union noted in a statement signed by its State Secretary, Comrade Dan Otakpo that the suspension order was confirmed by the State Executive Council (SEC) during its 41st  meeting in Port Harcourt last Thursday.
According to the statement, motion for the suspension of the members was moved by the union’s Unit Chairman in the Local Government Audit, Comrade Ernest Wordi and seconded by the Unit Chairman of the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Comrade Leticia Mac People.
The affected members, according to the SEC-in-session, had allegedly engaged in activities inimical to the smooth operations of the union in the State in clear breach of the union’s Constitution and the directive of the National Secretariat of the union.
It would be recalled that the National Secretariat had in a letter dated June 12, 2015 and signed by the National President of the union, Comrade Kiri Mohammed Shuaibu and Acting General Secretary, Comrade F.C. Ifo, disowned a purported caretaker committee of  the union in the state headed by Comrade Ade Asiegbu.
The secretariat in the letter also authenticated and recognised the Comrade O.T.  Lilly-West-Ied State Administrative Council (SAC) as the only legitimate body to pilot the affairs of the union in the State.

 

Donatus Ebi

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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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