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NIESV Laments Dilapidation Of RSHA Quarters

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5 years ago

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The Nigerian Institution for Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) has described the Rivers State House of Assembly Quarters as being in bad shape and no longer befitting as a dwelling place for the legislators.
The president of the institution, Mr. Emma Okahs-Wike lamented that the Assembly Quarters could not have dilapidated to the extent of being marked for demolition if the property was maintained.
He noted that a facility of such nature should not have been left in the hands of the occupants, adding that the Rivers State government ought to have employed facility managers to take care of the quarters, noting that facility managers be engaged when the new proposed assembly quarters are completed.
According to him, if we had professionals who are managing the place, I can tell you that it would not have dilapidated to the point we are.
“I want to advise that the Speaker or the house officers should appoint facility managers that would be able to manage those properties. Now that the government is thinking about reconstructing, they should be able to bring out professionals, seek professional advice so that at the end of the day when they finish this kind of structure it would be properly cared for,” he continued.
Okahs-Wike reasoned that professional facility managers would be able to care for and maintain the facility, “let them not just leave it in the hands of the occupants, they should be able to have one stop facility manager that would look after the environment and make sure that the property is well maintained and well structured”.
While enjoining the state government to have the project reevaluated and get the public notified on the reason for demolition and rebuilding of the assembly quarters, the NIESV’s president pointed out that it would cost more to renovate the facility.
He explained: “the buildings, some of them are dilapidated. What I will advise the government to do is to carry out feasibility and viability study of that project. The feasibility is that demolishing and reconstructing, ‘which one would be better for us?’ Then you go to viability, which one would be more costly, which one would be more beneficial to the people? If the viability study says it’s good to renovate, you renovate, if they say no, you reconstruct. Now if the government has done that and they have found out that it would be more cost effective to reconstruct, it’s a better deal… and bring in current and modern building materials”.

 

 

Tonye Nria-Dappa

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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22 hours 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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22 hours 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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22 hours 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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