News

Abuja-Kaduna Road To Be Completed This Year — FG

Published

4 months ago

January 4, 2024

The Federal Government has once again, promised to deliver the uncompleted section of the Abuja-Kaduna before the end of the year.

The PUNCH reports that the government has made promises on several occasions to complete the project since December 20, 2018, when the contract was awarded.

In October 2022, the former minister of State, Works and Housing, Umar El-Yakub, said work on the Kaduna-Abuja highway, and Zaria-Kano road would be completed in early 2023 to reduce negative effects on road users.

Similarly, the former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, in April 2023 stated that the present administration could not fulfill its promise due to security challenges experienced in 2022 and the relocation of some communities on the Zaria section of the 265km road project.

But speaking in a meeting with all directors of the ministry on Thursday in Abuja, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, assured that the ministry is ready to conquer all contractual obstacles and ensure delivery of the project for the benefit of Nigerians before the end of 2024.

According to the former Ebonyi State governor, the contractors have requested a review of the price of N1.3 billion to finance the project.

Umahi said, “We have about 1.7 kilometers left of Abuja-Kaduna in two sections. The ministry has some supervision work to be done tomorrow on that road and we will be advised on the real designs of the two sections.

“Funding is also an issue because it is under the presidential development fund initiative gotten from looted funds. I have had to discuss with Mr president about the importance of the road for all Northerners.

“But I won’t be able to go back to him until we re-scope it because the project was N165bn before and a review brought the cost to N655bn but today the contractor is asking for N1.35trillion and the government cannot afford it.

“What they are asking is very wrong. So we are looking at existing sub-grade and see what we can do about it. We are also looking at the first 40km to be constructed by Dangote under the Tax credit scheme to do it on concrete pavement but I am very committed to completing that road this year. No matter what happens, that road will be done this year.”

The reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway, currently handled by Julius Berger is funded under the Presidential Development fund initiatives and is divided into three sections.

News

2024 UTME: JAMB Withholds Results Of 64,624 Candidates

Published

16 mins ago

April 29, 2024

Editor

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, on Monday, announced the release of the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

The Registrar of the Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, made this known during an ongoing press briefing in Bwari, Abuja.

Oloyede also noted that the results of 64,624 out of the 1,904,189 who sat the examination have been withheld by the Board and will be subject to investigation.

The Board Registrar noted that though a total of 1,989,668 registered, a total of 80,810 candidates were absent.

“For the 2024 UTME, 1,989,668 candidates registered including those who registered at foreign centres. The Direct Entry registration is still ongoing.

“Out of a total of 1,989,668 registered candidates, 80,810 were absent. A total of 1,904,189 sat the UTME within the six days of the examination.

“The Board is today releasing the results of 1,842,464 candidates. 64,624 results are under investigation for verification, procedural investigation of candidates, centre-based investigation and alleged examination misconduct.”

Oloyede also said the Board, at the moment, examines nine foreign centres namely: Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Buea, Cameroon; Cotonou, Republic of Benin; London, United Kingdom; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and Johannesburg, South Africa.

“The essence of this foreign component of the examination is to market our institutions to the outside world as well as ensure that our universities reflect the universality of academic traditions, among others. The Board is, currently, fine-tuning arrangements for the conduct of the 2024 UTME in these foreign centres.”

Details later…

News

BREAKING: JAMB Releases 2024 UTME Results

Published

1 hour ago

April 29, 2024

Editor

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has released the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results.

Over 1.94 million candidates registered and sat the examination in 118 towns and over 700 centres across the country.

The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede announced the release of the UTME results at a press conference held at the board’s headquarters, Bwari, in Abuja on Monday.

The examination which began on Friday, 19th April ended on Monday, 29th April 2024.

The board earlier explained that it chose to delay the release of the UTME results by some days because it needed some time to scrutinize the results to ensure credibility and integrity of the results, ensuring that there are no questions or any form of unclarity concerning the results particularly as regards the issue of impersonation, mixed biometrics, and other forms of malpractices.

Details later…

News

JUST IN: WASSCE Begins April 30

Published

2 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Editor

The West African Examinations Council, Nigeria, has said the West African Senior School Certificate Examination for school candidates will commence on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 and end on June 24, 2024.

Speaking on Monday at the WAEC Lagos Office, Head of Nigeria Office, Dr Amos Dangut, said the council was ready to conduct the examination.

Dangut said, “I am delighted to inform you that WASSCE for School Candidates, 2024 will take place between Tuesday, April 30 and Monday, June 24, 2024, in Nigeria, spanning seven weeks and six days. The examination will be conducted in four WAEC member countries, namely: Nigeria, Gambia, Sierra-Leone and Liberia.”
“We want to intimate candidates of the council’s readiness to conduct WASSCE. ”

He added, “We are set for the conduct of WASSCE for School Candidates, in 2024 in Nigeria. The Council also, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, the State Ministries of Education, the Nigeria Police, other security agencies and other stakeholders, deliver, on its mandate to conduct credible examinations for the Nigerian Child and the general public.

“We remain ever grateful to the Honourable Minister of Education, the Honourable Minister of State, for Education, all the State Ministries of Education, the Inspector-General of Police, and indeed, all our stakeholders, for their usual support and cooperation, even as we count on them once again.”