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NCSU Tasks RSG On Workers’ Welfare

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The Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Rivers State Council rose from its 45th State Executive Council (SEC) meeting last Friday in Port Harcourt, with a call to the state government to consider the payment of  workers’ promotion arrears, annual increments and other allowances, particularly now that the state’s Internally Generated Revenue and monthly allocations from the Federation Account have improved.
The union, which made the call in a communiqué issued at the end of  the meeting and signed by its State Chairman, Comrade Opuoyibo Lilly-West and Higher Secretary, Comrade Dan Otakpo expressed worries over the non-payment of promotion arrears and annual increments.
The union, however, commended the present administration under the watch of Governor Nyesom Wike for keeping faith with civil servants in the state over the regular payment of salaries and allowances but urged the government to extend the same gesture to workers in other government-owned agencies like the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA).
While applauding the state government for the prompt payment of pensioners in the state, and also the ongoing biometrics for pensioners, who have not been captured, NCSU urged the state government to commence the payment of all those who have been captured to ameliorate the hardship they currently experience.
The communiqué enjoined the state government to encourage the celebration of the  annual Civil Service Week in the state, adding that the period is usually used to assess state of the service whereby commendations and condemnations are made concerning the service with a view to increasing efficiency and efficacy in the service.
The State Chairman of the union, Comrade Opuoyibo Lilly-West  while addressing the SEC-in-session commended the state government in its effort to improve the security situation in the state.
He also lauded the existing cordial working relationship between the Joint Negotiating Council and the office of the State head of Service occasioned by the inauguration of the council by the Head of Service on October 5, 2017.
Delivering a goodwill message at the occasion, the Bayelsa State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Kokoriko Pere hailed the cordial relationship existing between Rivers and Bayelsa states councils of the union, describing it as unprecedented, disclosing that the connectivity between the two chapters of the union engendered by the Rivers State Secretary of NCSU, Comrade Dan Otakpo was not only coincidental but divine.

Donatus Ebi

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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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