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Mixed Reactions Trail PHED’s Power Supply At Yuletide

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Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) promised improved supply to its valued customers during the yuletide to enable them enjoy the period, however, while some consumers applaud the firm for living upto its promise, others are of the view that there was no substantial improvement as epileptic supply was the order of the day.
Miss Chioma Obi, a resident of Bundu-Ama in Old Port Harcourt Township said there was sufficient supply during the yuletide.
Obi who commended the company for living up to its promise, however, urged the company to sustain its improved position.
“I commend PHED sincerely for making the celebration worthwhile, but PHED should sustain this feat because customers desire improved supply at all times and not only during Christmas and New Year celebration”, she said.
Another customer, Nsikan Abasi, also a resident of Borikiri, is full of praises for PHED, as according to him, “there was no dull moment because we had light all through.
“I couldn’t believe it was PHED because for several hours in the night and day we had supply. I appeal to the firm to keep it up”, said Abasi.
However, Everest Bob is bitter that instead of improved supply being promised by PHED, what the resident got was total disappointment.
Bob who lives in Mile 1, Diobu, said there was no difference between Power supply during the Yuletide and what obtained at other times”.
He urged PHED to prove itself a responsible power company in 2017 or hands up.
“Let PHED improve on its infrastructure, let it provide meters for customers and let cracy or estimated billing system be part of history”, he maintained.
Chiadikobi Amanze, a resident of Ojoto Street lauded PHED for improved supply during the yuletide.
He said, “True, the light supply was fantastic because for day and might, we had it such that people were asking if PHED could be that effective”.
Amanze stressed the need for the company to improve totally, not limiting its improvement to yuletide period.
Justice Amadi, an electrician who resides at Rumuodara accepted that power supply was better during the yuletide but regretted that the supply rate has gone with the festive period.
We had better supply during the yuletide but today what do we have, the same old epileptic supply. So is it supposed to be so?”
Amadi challenged the company to prove that it can supply power to the four Niger Delta states by ensuring improved infrastructure, regular training and shun corporate fraud through estimated billing.

 

Chris Oluoh & Alalibo Otonte Trudy

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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