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NDDC Gets 14-Day Ultimatum Over N1.05bn Debt

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10 years ago

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Aggrieved youth from
the nine Niger Delta states have threatened to shut down the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Port Harcourt, following alleged huge debt owed them by the commission.
The youths numbering over two hundred alleged that they were owed a total of N1.05 billion being balance of payment for clearing water hyacinth  along creeks and water ways in the region.
Some of them from Peremabiri and Koluama communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State explained that the last administration awarded the contracts to over 700 of them.
According to the agitating youth they had completed clearing the water hyacinth along the coastline and creeks but that management of the commission continued to owe them.
They revealed further that the contract was part of measures adopted to empower the youths from the region by past administration and gave NDDC a 14-day ultimatum to release the project fund or risk shut down of its operations.
In their presentation, the youth said affected youth and representatives of their communities would invade the NDDC office and would not vacate the place until the money is released to them.
However, the President of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiatives (LPDCI), Pastor Reuben Wilson has sued for calm.
Wilsom who is an ex-militant leader appealed to the management of NDDC to listen to the protesting youth and release their money for lasting peace.
NDDC, it would be recalled was accused of not accounting for over N183 billion by the Auditor-General of the Federation between 2008-2012.
There had been loud calls for probe of the board of the commission as several quarters had accused it of defrauding the people of the area through contract scams.
A recent audit on the commission revealed that the management paid huge sums running into several billions of naira for non-existent contracts, paid for contracts even when the contractors were yet to do any meaningful work, amongst others.
But the Executive Director, Finance and Administration of NDDC, Henry Ogiri, while reacting to the allegation of contract scam, said the report by the Auditor-General was misleading as it is untrue.
According to Ogiri, the management was putting together a report as official response to the Auditor General, regretting that the  allegation or report tended to portray the current management as being responsible for the missing fund.

 

Chris Oluoh

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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4 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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4 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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4 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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