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Okowa Signs 2019 N390.3bn Budget Into Law 

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7 years ago

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Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State yesterday, signed the 2019 Appropriation Bill of N390.3 billion into law.
Okowa signed the document in the presence of the Speaker, State House of Assembly, Sheriff Oborevwori, Mrs Lyna Ochulor, and Clerk of the House, other principal officers and members of the state executive council.
The occasion took place at the Government House, Asaba.
The governor said that early signing of the bill into law would give his administration room to utilise the dry season to engage in construction works.
He commended the Assembly for the early passage of the budget, while describing members of the Assembly as great partners in the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
Okowa said:”This is very important for governance because, it will give us room to utilise the dry season to construct roads and provide other infrastructure before the commencement of the rainy season.
“The 2019 budget is made of a capital expenditure of N233. 2 billion and a recurrent expenditure of N157. 1 billion.
“With the signing of the bill into law today, it means power has been given to the executive to start implementing the budget.
“We now have enough room to perform; with the cooperation and partnership of the Delta State House of Assembly.
“In the course of 2018, we have worked in harmony; putting Delta State first.
“Together in the last three years plus, we have been able to impact positively on infrastructure development.
“We have constructed roads, built a lot of schools, improved on the health facilities and provided a lot of jobs for Deltans.
“Due to our achievements, there is peace in Delta; we thank Deltans for the partnership which has yielded great results.
“We are confident that as we are leaving office in 2023; we would have left a lot in the state that we would be proud of and Deltans will be happier.”
The Speaker, while presenting the bill to the governor for his assent, said that the bill as presented by the governor passed through rigorous process before it was approved.
“The bill passed through all the processes as it was designed to consolidate on the achievements of the governor,” Oborevwori said.
Reports says that the governor had on October 17, presented a budget N367 billion to the state House of Assembly.
The speaker had earlier told newsmen that the Assembly increased the budget from N367 billion to N390.3 billion to enable the state government embark on more infrastructure projects for the people.

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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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