Easing UTME registration

The ongoing registration of prospective candidates for the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has been trailed by logistic challenges. The exercise, which commenced on March 20, was to end on Wednesday, April 19, before the strident protests of candidates who were finding it difficult to register and the prompt intervention of the House of Representatives forced JAMB to grant a two-week extension.

Since the sale of forms started, complaints from candidates across the country show that the process of registration is too slow and cumbersome. Some of the candidates in Asaba, Delta State, said it takes about three days to register an applicant. They also complained of difficulty in accessing JAMB’s website. There have also been the same complaints by prospective candidates in Benin City and Cross River State.

The story of slow registration is the same in Lagos, Makurdi and other cities in the country.  There are also allegations of extortion of money from candidates by officials charged with the registration as a result of the large crowd of applicants. Computer Based Test (CBT) centre administrators, who reported difficulties in accessing the JAMB website, had also joined in the call by JAMB to extend the registration time.

We welcome the decision of the examination body to extend the exercise by two weeks. The anxiety that had already started building up when the organisation initially refused to extend the registration period has now been largely dispelled. JAMB spokesman, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, had, at the time said that the examination body would only work towards rectifying identified lapses in the optimism that, before the end of the initial April 19 deadline, all the prospective candidates would have registered. JAMB had also then said that it had registered 600,000 candidates since the sale of forms commenced on March 20.

We commend the House of Representatives for stepping into the matter,  ordering an extension and mandating its Committee on Tertiary Education and Services to oversee the implementation of its directives. It also enjoined JAMB to deploy safety equipment at each centre to forestall stampedes which may arise due to overcrowding during the examination. The House also directed the   examination body to specify measures which will qualify any centre to participate in the UTME Computer Based Test. Now that the UTME deadline has been extended, we urge all prospective candidates to strive to register for the examination within the new deadline.

We call on JAMB to use the period of extension to address all the hiccups in the registration exercise. The organisation should fine-tune its Information Technology (IT) systems as well as the registration processes so that candidates can register without further hitches.

It has become necessary to simplify UTME registration. Registration for public examinations should not be such an arduous task. The fact that some candidates claimed that last year’s registration was better than the one of this year, shows that JAMB has a lot of work to do to ease the exercise.

Registration for examinations should not be a harrowing experience as we have it now. Let JAMB fine-tune its processes and ensure a seamless and stress-free registration. Prospective candidates should not be subjected to unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks because they want to register for the UTME.

SOURCE: THE SUN

NO ONE CAN stop Biafra–Ikedife

Former President General of Ohanaeze, Dr. Dozie Ikedife has said that no one including the British Government can stop the actualisation of the Republic of Biafra.

Dr. Ikedife was reacting to the statement made by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright last week, that the British Government stands for one and indivisible Nigeria, and will not watch to see Nigeria divided.

In an interview with VINCENT KALU, the former boss of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, said the position of the British will heighten the actualization of Biafra, instead of deterring it.



According to him, Britain had watched and encouraged the break up of many countries, and wondered why it should take a different stand on Nigeria, just to protect of its economic interest.

 The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright last week said that the British government stands for one and indivisible Nigeria, and will not watch to see Nigeria divided. What is your view vis-a-vis the activities of MASSOB and IPOB, agitating for Biafra?

Such a statement or position is not a surprise because when people from the Southeast were being killed in some parts of Nigeria, and were virtually pushed out of Nigeria, and when they declared Republic of Biafra, as their own and home, the British government helped to suppress that by supporting Nigeria along with one or two European countries.

Those were the days, and things have changed.

Granting that the United Kingdom is reputed to be a conservative country, they have on their own demonstrated acceptance of changes.

For example, they allowed Scotland to do a referendum on whether they will continue to stay in the United Kingdom or not, even more significantly, they were standing by and encouraging the break up of former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR); they were standing by to see the break up of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Sudan. These countries went their various ways.

They were standing by when the sub continent of India gave birth to Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Even more recently, they decided to pull out of European Union.

When such a statement comes from somebody representing Her Majesty in Government, one wonders whether he was speaking for himself, expressing his personal opinion or expressing the opinion of Her Majesty in Government.

United Kingdom is also a member of United Nations Organisation, which has enacted and emphasised the rights of ethnic nationalities for self-determination; now this man speaking probably represents 18th Century view, and not the 21st Century view, where Scotland is also preparing another referendum to pull out of Great Britain and remain with European Union.

Nigeria remains the last experiment of the British, all other federations that they tried putting together have all broken down.  Example, Federation of East Africa dissolved into Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. They created the West Indies Federation, which also failed and you now have Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago; they created Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, it failed. The only federation they created then that has not failed is Nigeria, do you think they will ever allow this to go?

Britain will of course like to see Nigeria remain together so that the areas they are exploiting either by buying or selling will remain like that, undisturbed.

They are speaking from the point of view of their own economic interest, and not with any altruistic point of view. One should not be deterred by such expressions; the Ambassador has the right to express his personal opinion.

Britain wields much influence in the comity of nations, will it not discourage others that would have had sympathy for Biafra agitators?

No, it will only heighten our resolve to achieve what we set out to achieve, knowing that they are people or nations that oppose it for selfish reasons.

How do you go about achieving this?

We are not talking only of referendum, which is one of the ways. The other way, is the legal process, which is going on; Another is diplomatic process, which is also very much on, and also engaging in dialogue, which is also in the process. These are the ways and means of achieving it.

Some say that the position of Britain was to protect the North?

I don’t want to go into that, as I don’t have evidence. It is speculative, and I have covered it by saying that they want to protect their market; their economic interest, especially in the oil and gas, and so, they don’t know how Biafra will react with regards to their oil, if the Eastern Region or most of it is declared Republic of Biafra.

Let me say that the people of Biafra will not be hostile to anybody; or deny anybody trading opportunity. They should not be afraid of hostility in any form, and that is where their fears are hinged on.

 Based on the Amnesty International report on how the Nigerian Army killed over 100 unarmed Biafra agitators, the Chief of Army Staff set up a panel to look into it, what is your view on this?

Anybody can set up any committee he wants, and he can skew the committee membership to give him the results he wants.

Such an investigation should be by an independent neutral body, what you call independent arbitrator or assessor, which is not set up by one side alone.

If it should be set up, membership must be made up of nominations from the two sides, and they will find neutral people and inject into it, and whatever they produce will suffer less bias.

Before, you were the lone voice talking about the release of Kanu, but recently, other prominent Igbo, Igbo groups and even governors have joined the fray, asking for Kanu’s release, what does this mean?

It means that they are now seeing what we saw many months ago, and it is gratifying.

I’m glad more people are seeing what we saw, which means they are buying into the project.

SOURCE: THE SUN

Breaking news:Fulani man stabs an igbo man because of #10. See pictures

A fulani man whose name is Alhaji Musa has been arrested by the Area H police, Lagos State, for stabbing an Igbo man called Uche because of #10.

Uche who is a wheel barrow pusher made Noblegblog know that he took the sachet water from the fulani cooler and promised to give him his money when he was done eating.

According to a man sitting close to Uche before the incident who preferred anonymity, ' I told Musa say I go give am the money but he no hear'. He also went further to state that' Musa won chuk Uche the knife for chest but Uche block am with his hand'.

The incident occurred at about 12:20PM in 336, Ikorodu road, Ojota, Lagos State. However, Uche has been taken to an undisclosed hospital while Musa remains in the police custody.






Note: Noblegblog has this news first.

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IPOB raises alarm over alleged plot to assassinate Nnamdi Kanu

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday warned against what it called incessant assassination attempts on the life of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is detained at the Kuje Prison, Abuja.
IPOB is alleging that the latest attempt took place on Thursday while Kalu and his colleagues were being taken to the court but failed because according to the group, “Kanu is a prophet of our time and very popular to mankind around the globe which no man born of a woman can stop because he is a prophecy of 400 years ago.”

A statement by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, made available to newsmen in Awka yesterday, the group said the Federal Government was changing every rule against Kanu in order to frustrate him.

The statement said that when the Thursday assassination bid failed, a more stringent condition was placed against Kanu in prison custody as a result of which his visitors were turned back.

“Information reaching us this morning (Friday) has it that visitors are no longer allowed to see the IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his fellow freedom fighters namely Benjamin Madubugwu,  Chidiebere Onwudiwe and David Nwawuisi, except they get clearance forms from the Prison Headquarters Abuja.

“The legal and constitutional procedure that every visitor has followed right from the onset is to fill some forms at the Kuje prison gate with a passport photograph and submit to the security at the entrance for verification before the visitor is allowed in.

“This procedure has been applicable to both Nnamdi Kanu and other inmates in Kuje prison. But this new method is totally strange and entirely different and it reeks of some vendetta. We are also aware that the devious Nigerian government is at it again.  They have never relented in plotting some vices to get at the IPOB leader, his fellow freedom fighters and Biafra at large.

“The recent being the assassination attempt on Nnamdi Kanu’s life on his way to the court yesterday (Thursday) being the 6th of April which however failed woefully. Now, this new plan has come up, to frustrate visitors who come for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his mates”, the group stated.

IPOB therefore questioned the reason for the new method introduced for Kanu’s visitors and why the order was affecting only their leader’s visitors.

It further said, “There are other inmates in Kuje Prison but why are only Nnamdi Kanu’s visitors always either denied access to see him, harassed and embarrassed, or even malhandled while visitors for other inmates encounter no challenges at all? Why should it be this way? For how long will this injustice and inhumane treatment last?”

Source: The Sun

JAMB: Guidelines for Saturday’s mock UTME exam released

The Joint Admissions & Matriculation Board (JAMB) has has suspended registrationis for the ongoing 2017 UTME Examination this was done to enable candidates who are taking part in the 2017 UTME Mock Examination set to hold today Saturday, April 8, 2017.

According to Prof. Is-haq Oloyede OFR, JAMB Registrar the suspention of registartion starts  from 8pm  Friday 7th of April, 2017 and  resume on Monday 10th of April 2017

The guidelines released  the body said  will enable prospecting candiadte  take part in the  mock  exercise at CBT Centres  on Saturday.

According to JAMB’s guidelines candidates for the mock examination are to check for their examination venue, time using either registration number or e-mail address on here.

Email and text messages have been sent also to candidates.

Candidates would be admitted to their respective centres by the e-slip

SOURCE: VANGUARD

Tension as Anambra’s female speaker disappears with mace to escape impeachment

- There was a reported plan by the members of the Anambra state House of Assembly to impeach the speaker
- The situation at the House of Assembly forced Governor Willie Obiano to intervene as he held a meeting with 28 legislators

In a bid to avoid being impeached by her colleague, the speaker of the Anambra state House of Assembly, Mrs Rita Maduagwu, has disappeared with the mace, the symbol of authority in the legislature.

The Punch reports that the speaker escaped with the mace and forced activities in the Assembly to a halt with the about 28 members present not able to go ahead with the business of the day.

It was learnt that she carried out the act without the knowledge of the members of the House.
The situation forced the governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano, to drive to the House of Assembly complex in an effort to intervene.
The report said the governor also addressed the 28 members of the House who are members of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and pleaded with them to persuade others not to carry out the impeachment.
“When the bell signifying her coming into the chambers rang several times, the Speaker was nowhere to be found,” the report said adding that this caused the majority leader, Victor Okoye, to call for the adjournment of the sitting till Tuesday, April 11.

The member representing Ekwusigo constituency, Onyebuchi Offor, reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the speaker’s attitude adding: “We came this morning to hold our normal session, only to be disappointed that the Speaker had absconded with the mace.

“I am of the PDP and the governor came and spoke with 28 APGA members of the House.

“I didn’t know the governor’s mission because it was impromptu. But I knew he must have come to preempt our sitting because we had had poor leadership under Rita Maduagwu.

“But I’m assuring you that justice must prevail. No matter where she runs to, we have determined to take a decision on the leadership of this House.
“There is no going back, because we are here to serve Anambra people well.”