JAMB Registers Over 1.6 Million, Confirms Closing Date For 2019 UTME Registration

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says not less than 1.8 million candidates would be registered for its 2019 UTME by the end of the registration exercise scheduled for Feb. 21.

The Board’s Head, Media and Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

Benjamin expressed satisfaction with the ongoing registration exercise nationwide, adding that so far, it had been smooth with little or no hitches.

The registration of candidates for this year’s all Computer Based Test (CBT) Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), commenced on Feb. 10.

Meanwhile, an official bulletin of the board tagged ‘jambulletin’ issued on Sunday, said over 1.6 million candidates had registered for the examination between Feb. 10 and Feb. 15 nationwide, with Lagos recording the highest, with 234,259 candidates.

According to the bulletin, preparations for the successful conduct of the examination scheduled to commence few weeks from now is in top gear.

Also contained in the bulletin is the restatement of the unlikely extension of the registration deadline by the board.

“Candidates would commence the reprinting of their examination notification slips two weeks to the examination date.

“On the examination slip are candidates’ schedule for the examination, date, time and centre, as well as other necessary information about the examination.

“Two weeks to the commencement of the examination, candidates will have their slips placed on their profiles.

“However, in the event where candidates could not access their slip, such candidates can visit the board’s service portal,on www.jamb.org.ng to print the slip,” the bulletin stated.

It also said that messages would as well be sent to candidates, informing them on when to reprint their e-slip.

According to the bulletin, the processes are all automated to keep candidates abreast of developments, just as messages will be sent to all candidates informing them on when to print their e-slip.

The bulletin warned candidates against coming into the examination halls with prohibited items such as wrist watches, telephones and others.

Zinedine Zidane Wants Chelsea Job If They Keep Belgian Star Eden Hazard

Former Real Madrid gaffer Zinedine Zidane is reportedly interested in becoming the next Chelsea manager only if the Blues will agree with his terms and also keep superstar Eden Hazard.

Since the Frenchman left reigning European League champions Real Madrid, he has been out of job although he was linked with Manchester United before the club hired Ole Solskjaer. Current Chelsea handler Maurizio Sarri has been under fire this season with reports suggesting that the Blues' board may show him the exit doors before the end of the season.

Zidane who last won the Champions League title with Real Madrid is now said to be keen to replace Sarri and turn the club into contenders again according to UK Sun. But the Premier League giants will have to make available a massive £200m transfer money and also block Eden Hazard from leaving Stamford Bridge.

Eden Hazard has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, and recently, the Belgium international made it clear that he has made up his mind on his future. His statement however caused many talks among Chelsea fans as Eden Hazard was asked on social media to reveal what he concluded on. Below are the three things Zinedine Zidane wants from Chelsea board.

(1) New bumper deal for superstar play-maker Eden Hazard, keeping the Belgian to build a team around.

(2) £200m to improve the squad — more if he sells players who are currently at Stamford Bridge but are out of favor.

(3) A major say in recruitment alongside Blues director Marina Granovskaia.

According to the report, Sarri, who arrived Stamford Bridge barely eight months ago with lots of expectations is no longer in the good books of Blues’ board following spate of bad results this term.

Elections Postponement: What APC, INEC Planned Against PDP - Senator Adokwe

The senator representing Nasarawa South in the National Assembly, Solomon Adokwe, has said that the last minute postponement of the general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was part of the plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to make sure that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had no funds to mobilise logistics to its members and agents ahead of the presidential election.

He told journalists in Lafia yesterday that the Commission’s action was a calculated attempt on the opposition party.

Senator Adokwe is running for the fourth time to represent Nasarawa South, contesting against the APC candidate and incumbent governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura.

He said: “The integrity and credibility of INEC to conduct free and fair elections is questionable.

“Most states in Nigeria, including Nasarawa State, were earmarked to frustrate the process so that they have staggered election. I believe it is God that is working; now you have the whole week to prepare and address all the challenges, no excuses any more.

“The APC are quick at saying it was done in the past. Even if you say Jonathan did it, the Commission under Jonathan gave two weeks notice, but this INEC gave just few hours notice when we have already used our little resource to mobilise logistics for the process.

“They did that to frustrate PDP. It was a calculated attempt at making sure that PDP is broke since they can easily go back to Central Bank to get funds.

“It is an attempt to make sure we are crippled and broke, but they will be shocked at the resilience of PDP; we are going to bounce back right into their faces.”

Despite the frustration, Adokwe said that his supporters were fully prepared for the election, asserting that the postponement would not deter them from trooping out next Saturday to cast their votes for him.

The candidate expressed disappointment with the action of the commission, stating that since the advent of democracy in Nigeria, this was the first Commission to give a long period notice in preparation for an election.

“They released their timetable eight months ago and commenced the process immediately. Their actions have raised a lot of room for one not to trust them. You cannot look at a Commission that is speaking from both sides of the mouth and believe that they will do the right thing,” he said.

Residents Serve Dirty Water To Politicians After They Failed To Provide Potable Water

Residents of a village in Kenya decided to give Kenyan politicians a taste of their own medicine so they served them dirty water.

Marsabit county residents, during a scheduled meeting with their leaders on Tuesday, February 12, served muddy drinking water as refreshment to the politicians who failed to provide potable water for them.

The dignitaries were comfortably seated on plastic chairs for the meeting with residents of Karare ward when Karare Ward women stepped out and served the political and administrative leaders who were in attendance bottled muddy water.

The politicians tried to pretend they didn't see the water and continued chatting with one another. But their bottled muddy water was carefully placed on the ground beside them.

The residents of Karare area were angered that their leaders had failed to come up with a solution to their perennial water problem. The water the villagers use for cooking, drinking and cleaning is contaminated and completely unfit for human consumption and they wanted to give their leaders a rare chance to see the kind of life they live.

Chelsea To Move For 'Zinedine Zidane' As Maurizio Sarri's Replacement After Humiliating 6 - 0 Loss To Manchester City

Premiership club, Chelsea is reportedly considering a move for former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane as a replacement for Maurizio Sarri and his assistant Gianfranco Zola.

This comes after Chelsea's humiliating 6 - 0 loss to Manchester City on Sunday that saw them slump to sixth place, with the club current Maurizio Sarri's future hanging in the balance.

According to The Sun UK, Sarri is running out of backers among the Stamford Bridge hierarchy and talks have taken place among top brass at Chelsea about when they should make their move for French coach Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane who won his third straight Champions League crown with Real Madrid last year has been out of work since stepping down from his role.

FG Plans To Disrupt Internet Access And Phone Calls During Saturday's Elections - Fayose Claims

This was according to the former Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose, He posted this on twitter. Read what he posted below...

$16bn Power Sector Fraud: ''Stop Accusing Me Ignorantly'' - Obasanjo Tells President Buhari

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has reacted to the recent call by President Buhari for a probe of the $16 billion spent on power during the 16-year PDP rule. President Buhari at the APC presidential rally in Bayelsa state on Tuesday February 12th, hinted that there will be probe on all the past governments involed in the $16 billion power project.

Reacting to the call for the probe, Obasanjo in a statement released by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, said the request for a probe on the power project is borne out of ignorance.

In the statement, the former president said he had given a detailed account of how the money was spent for the power project in his widely read book, My Watch, and that if President Buhari cannot read it, he should get one of his aides to read it and interprete in a language best suitable. Read the statement below

”It has come to the attention of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo that a statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari, apparently without correct information and based on ignorance, suggested that $16 billion was wasted on power projects by “a former President.

“We believe that the President was re-echoing the unsubstantiated allegation against Chief Obasanjo by his own predecessor but one.

“While it is doubtful that a President with proper understanding of the issue would utter such, it should be pointed out that records from the National Assembly had exculpated President Obasanjo of any wrong-doing concerning the power sector and has proved the allegations as false.

“For the records, Chief Obasanjo has addressed the issues of the power sector and the allegations against him on many occasions and platforms, including in his widely publicised book, “My Watch” in which he exhaustively stated the facts and reproduced various reports by both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which conducted a clinical investigation into the allegations against Chief Obasanjo, and the Ad-Hoc Committee on the Review of the Recommendations in the Report of the Committee on Power on the Investigation into how the Huge Sums Of Money was Spent on Power Generation, Transmission And Distribution between June 1999 and May 2007 without Commensurate Result.

“”We recommend that the President and his co-travellers should read Chapters 41, 42, 43 and 47 of My Watch for Chief Obasanjo’s insights and perspectives on the power sector and indeed what transpired when the allegation of $16 billion on power projects was previously made.

“If he cannot read the three-volume book, he should detail his aides to do so and summarise the chapters in a language that he will easily understand.

“”In the same statement credited to the President, it was alleged that there was some bragging by Chief Obasanjo over $16 billion spent on power. To inform the uninformed, the so-called $16 billion power expenditure was an allegation against Chief Obasanjo’s administration and not his claim.

“The President also queried where the power generated is. The answer is simple: The power is in the seven National Integrated Power Projects and eighteen gas turbines that Chief Obasanjo’s successor who originally made the allegation of $16 billion did not clear from the ports for over a year and the civil works done on the sites.

“”Chief Obasanjo challenges, and in fact encourages, anybody to set up another enquiry if in doubt and unsatisfied with the EFCC report and that of the Hon. Aminu Tambuwal-led ad-hoc committee.”