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Ex-VC Tasks Ogonis On Local Economy Dev

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8 years ago

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As over 500 leaders and stakeholders from the four local government areas of ogoni in Rivers State converged in Port Harcourt, the state capital for the second Ogoni Dialogue forum, the former Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University of Science and Technology, now, Rivers State University (RSU), Prof. Barinee B. Fakae has charged the stakeholders to focus their commitment toward the development of local economy to create jobs and income for the people.
Fakae, as chairman of the occasion, gave the charge while declaring the Ogoni Dialogue Forum open in Port Harcourt, Saturday.
Fakae stated that the great task before Ogoni leaders and stakeholders was not to distort peace and escalate violence, but to provide and engage government at all levels, multinational corporations, and financial institutions toward the development of the local economy as to create jobs in the area.
He called on all sons and daughters of Ogoni ethnic nationality to shun all acts capable of escalating violence in the six kingdoms and two special areas of Ogoni like Ban-Ogoi and Bori.
According to him, the second Ogoni Dialogue Forum was organised by Academic Associates Peace Work with funding from the United Kingdom (UK) Government’s Niger Delta Stability Programme, and administered by the Stakeholders Democracy Network (SDN) to chat a part for dialogue on peace and development in Ogoni land.
The event chairman expressed the need for all traditional rulers, religious leaders, politicians and business men and women of Ogoni nation to make a strong commitment to turn Ogoni land into economy development area in the state.
He tasked the stakeholders on proactive measures to prevent all forms of violence in all the communities in Ogoni-land to create an enabling environment for business development.
In his remark, a royal father in Gokana Kingdom in Ogoni, High Chief Barisi Kpama called on the Ogoni stakeholders, especially politicians in the area to shun any conduct for behaviours that will endanger the lives and property of the people.
Kpaama, the paramount ruler of Biara community in Ogoni also called on politicians to place the interest of Ogoni above their personal and partisan concerns to ensure peace and security in the area.
He expressed the need to enlighten Ogoni youth on the consequence of violence and acts inimical to peace and development in Ogoni.
The paramount ruler also called for a united and formidable traditional institution to respond to contemporary conflicts in Ogoni.

 

Enoch Epelle

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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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