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Transporters Cry Out Over Forced Unionisation Seek Wike’s Intervention

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10 years ago

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The Rivers State  Drivers
Transport Co-operative Union Limited, Port Harcourt, has appealed to the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, to come to their aid over an alleged forceful membership of Keke Owners Riders Association of Nigeria (KORAN)  in the state by a top government official.
The Chairman of the union, Comrade Sunday Binoye, who made the appeal in a chat with The Tide in his office on Monday said an official of the Rivers State Government, and Director, Land Transport in the Ministry of Transport, Samuel Ezumah invited eight transport unions for a meeting recently, only to threaten that they  should come under one umbrella as KORAN.
Binoye disclosed that during the meeting, they were given an opportunity to chose a name for the Unions to be under one body, and they choose Keke (tricycle) People Congress (KPC) but Eguma who presided over the meeting said he had the final decision to choose a name for them.
According to him, Eguma as Believe Transport  Providers Cooperative Investment Society as well allegedly threatened that if they did not accept his decision, he would have no option than to scrap the unions and stop them from operating in the state.
He disclosed that the eight Unions, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Rivers Transport Co-operative Union Ltd, International Human Right Protection Initiative, Keke Napep Drivers Association of Nigeria, Association of Tricycle and Motorcycle Operators, Keke Drivers Association and Obio/Akpor Service Instituted a suit at the National Industrial. Court of Nigeria, Owerri, saying that the recent action by the government is contempt as Egumah had not sought leave of the court to settle the KORAN case.
The Union boss said they would not be intimidated by any threat as far as they are in a democratic system of government and as law abiding citizens, they are appealing to the Governor and other relevant authorities to resolve the issue for peace to reign.
When contacted on phone for his reaction, Mr Eguma, the director of Land Transport, declined to speak with our correspondent, saying that he does not talk to strangers on phone.

 

Collins Barasimeye

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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20 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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20 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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20 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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