Connect with us

Business

Gas Explosion: Emohua Community Protests Against NAOC

Published

9 years ago

on

Youths of Eveku Community, in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, where a gas explosion occurred last week have prevented the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), from carrying out repairs and servicing of the damaged pipeline.
The youths who reacted angrily, insisted that the company must compensate the community for the destruction cased by the explosion as well as compensate those who lost their family members.
The Community Development Committee Chairman, Mr Njia Promise, who spoke on their behalf explained that the company was insisting that they be allowed to fix the pipe before negotiations, even as they have so for not visited those bereaved for injured.
“We told them to go back because they are saying that they have to repair the pipe first before they will negotiate.
“They are not even talking about going to visit the deceased or those that are in hospital, they are only interested to fix the pipe and go” , he said.
Also speaking, a representative of the paramount ruler of the community, Mr Mike Oha Wordu, called on the state government to insist that the oil company did the right thing as indigenes of the community have been exposed to ailments as a result of the polluted environment.
“Most of our children are now in the hospital, so what I am saying in effect is that the community people are very sad over the incident.
Some of the journalists who visited the area also complained being affected by inhaling the gas fumes.
It could be recalled that shortly after the explosion, the Rivers State Government charged oil companies operating in the state to ensure regular checks and maintenance of their facilities to avert a repeat of the explosion of the gas pipeline that occurred in Eveku.
Giving the charge while on a visit to the explosion site, the state commissioner for Environment, Prof  Roseline Konya along side a technical team of NAOC and Nigeria LNG Limited, which are the two oil companies that own the facilities in the area cautioned against exposing the lives of host communities to further hazards and destructions.
“We went there, we have seen it and the pipe is broken in so many places  and what made it explode is what we are trying to find out”, she said.
The technical team of the two oil companies refused to make any comment to newsmen over the ugly incident.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Business

Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

Published

3 days ago

on

September 22, 2025

By

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.

 

Continue Reading

Business

NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

Published

3 days ago

on

September 22, 2025

By

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.
Continue Reading

Business

FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

Published

3 days ago

on

September 22, 2025

By

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.
Continue Reading

Trending