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Truck Drivers Observe Restriction Order In PH

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15 years ago

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Following the recent order by the Rivers State Government restricting heavy duty trucks from plying the city of Port Harcourt in the hours between 7.00am and 9.00pm, the truck drivers have started showing compliance.

Investigation carried out by The Tide over the weekend shows that all trucks coming from Owerri axis of Port Harcourt that are caught up with the time, anchor along Igwuruta-Ali in Ikwerre Local Government Area and the queue extends close to International Airport Hotel, Omagwa.

Those coming from Bayelsa axis, East-West Road, anchor at Emohua, headquarters of Emohua Local Government Area, behind the Choba bridge, while the trucks along Aba route stop at Oyigbo, in Oyigbo Local Government Area while waiting for the approved time of 9.00pm before driving into the city of Port Harcourt.

Speaking with Alhaji Waziri Usman, a truck driver at Igwuruta-Ali, told The Tide that the new order was not new to most of the drivers, saying that it had been in existence in some of the states in the federation and that the 9.00am movement time was ideal because the road traffic congestion was less by that hour of the day. “It accelerates our movement, because even if you drive in when there was no restrictions, hold up can keep you on the road more than that two hours that we have to spend here,” he added.

The Tide gathered that the restriction does not affect trucks that are on essential duties like oil tanker trucks, refuse disposal trucks and military among other recognised bodies.

It would be recalled that the Rivers State Ministry of Transport in imposing the restriction order also created a vacuum for waiver. This is to enable stakeholders whose activities are more relevant in day time than in the night to apply for waiver to enable them carry out their business. Such companies include Nigerian Bottling Company (Coca-cola), Nigerian Breweries Limited, PABOD Breweries Limited and others.

However, the Rivers State Ministry of Transport has called for applications from companies for waivers. The ministry’s intention, according to sources, is aimed at sanitising the transport system in the state and not targeted at any company or individuals. The ministry advised the stakeholders in the transport business to embrace the new restriction order with total compliance or face the wrath of the law.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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19 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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19 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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19 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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