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Electricity Tariff: Discordant Tunes As Labour, CSOs Picket Discos

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10 years ago

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A visible crack has oc
curred within the organised Labour Movement and Civil Society Organisations following the picketing of  Electricity Distribution Companies over the new electricity tariff hike carried out on Monday.
Speaking to The Tide in Port Harcourt yesterday, the factional National Vice Chairman, Comrade Joe Ajacro-led Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Igwe Achese said that protest should have been directed at the Federal Government and not the Electricity distribution companies.
Comrade Igwe Achese accused the organisers of the protest of having political motives instead of the Nigeria masses, interest in organising the “charade” called protest.
Achese said that by organising the picketing of electricity distribution companies the organisers missed  the points in the articulation of the target of their protest, stressing that it was not the companies that increased the Electricity tariff but the Federal Government through the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Also, members of the Nigeria Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) have described the protest as a misplaced priority.
They alleged that other labour unions and civil societies were misled by some labour leaders out to achieve their selfish end to organise such protest against the offices of the Electricity distribution companies nationwide.
Achese said that the one day protest cannot achieve the desired result as the organisers of the protest could have done adequate consultation before embarking on the jamboree called protest stressing that it was a fruittess journey for labour.
He said that the Ajaero led faction of the NLC would engage the federal government to find a common solution to the situation on behalf of the masses, stressing government is the problem and not the companies at which such were directed by the protest organisers.
Achese who is also the National President, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural has Workers (NUPENG) added that the protest was not in the right direction challenge the comrade Ayuba Wabba faction of NLC to roberstly engaged the government as Ajacro led leadership are doing on the issue of the review of the minimum wage since the wage has expired five years ago.
However, an official of the NUEE who spoke to The Tide at Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED), Moscow Road, Comrade Chris Anya said the National Secretariat of the union directed the union members not to participate in any picketing protest.
Anya said the Union believes in dialogue to resolve the new tariff hike not by protest.
Also, the two factions of the NLC in Rivers State successfully carried out the picketing of Port Harcourt Electricity Officers on Monday.
Speaking to The Tide, comrade Addah Williams the NLC factional Chairman said the protest was very peaceful and successful in the state.

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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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