News

UTME: FG Sponsors 37 Blind Candidates For Examination In Bauchi

Published

7 months ago

April 29, 2025

The Federal Government, through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has sponsored 37 blind candidates for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Bauchi state.

Speaking to journalists at the examination centre in Bauchi on Tuesday, the Deputy Coordinator, UTME Bauchi Centre for the Blind, Prof. Hadiza Bazza from the University of Maiduguri, said that the move was part of the Federal Government’s effort to provide equal opportunities for persons with special needs to achieve their educational dreams.

According to her, the candidates were drawn from four states of the Northeast zone of Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, and Yobe.

She explained that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) introduced the special UTME Equal Opportunity Group program for the blind in 2017.

The initiative, she said, was championed by JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, who recognised the need to support candidates living with disabilities, especially the blind and physically challenged.

“He saw that there are many persons with disabilities, the blind, the crippled, and others who, if given the opportunity, can perform excellently instead of ending up on the streets begging,” she said.

Prof. Hadiza added that it is the prayer of the JAMB Registrar that every blind student who completed secondary education could register and sit for the UTME.

She explained that the examination is offered free of charge to all blind candidates, with the federal government covering transportation, accommodation, feeding, and other logistics.

“When they pass the exam, universities admit them. Some universities have special education faculties with trained teachers capable of handling the unique needs of these students,” she said.

She however, expressed concern that while the government at the highest level was doing well to support blind candidates, many stakeholders at the grassroots, particularly parents, were not doing enough in this regard.

She urged stakeholders to create more awareness among communities to encourage persons with disabilities to access available educational opportunities, stressing that greater awareness would lead to higher participation in future UTME examinations.

The deputy coordinator also advised candidates to remain calm and motivated during the exams, emphasizing the importance of discipline and adherence to the rules and regulations.

Also speaking, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Hon. Usman Shehu, lamented that despite the state government’s investment in building schools, enrollment figures remain low.

“Unfortunately, our people are yet to realise that without education, nothing can progress,” he said.

He assured that his ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), would design a comprehensive enlightenment programme to encourage school enrollment, particularly among persons with disabilities.

“Many people do not realise that being disabled does not mean you cannot be educated. You can still attend school.

“Although, as I said, there is a lack of willingness among our people to pursue education, but with proper enlightenment, many persons with disabilities will be encouraged to attend,” he assured.

On his part, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Lawal Mohammed, commended the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group for their efforts in uplifting the lives of persons with disabilities.

He urged parents to support their children, especially those living with disabilities, to develop their potential and secure a brighter future.

The Commissioner also assured that the Bauchi State Government would intensify awareness campaigns to ensure more parents and guardians take advantage of the special JAMB programmes available.

News

Delta-billionaire Lawuru To Grace Ijaw Media Conference As Guest Of Honour

Published

7 hours ago

November 27, 2025

Editor

The President of Egbema Brotherhood, Alaowei Promise Lawuru, is expected to grace the forthcoming Ijaw Media Conference 2025, as a guest of honour.

The event is scheduled to hold on December 3rd, 2025, in Warri, Delta State.

The annual media conference organised by the Ijaw Publishers Forum with the theme ‘Safeguarding Niger Delta’s Natural Resources for Future Generations,’ is second edition of the series.

Lawuru, youthful politician and businessman’s willingness to appear as guest of honour was made known
when a delegation of the Central Working Committee led by Pastor Arex Akemotubo paid him a visit to inform him of the forthcoming event and his expected role.

In his presentation, Akemotubo explained that this year’s theme was chosen out of concern for the growing strain on the region’s land and waters.

The Publisher of WaffiTV stressed that the forum wants to strengthen public understanding, support honest reportage, and encourage leaders to protect what the Niger Delta holds for the next generation.

He addex that Lawuru’s history of service and steady involvement in community work made him a natural choice for the role.

Chief Lawuru welcomed the invitation and spoke warmly about the need for shared responsibility among stakeholders and groups such as the IPF.

He commended the forum for using the media to defend the region’s interests and promised full support for the conference.

Lawuru further urged other stakeholders across the Ijaw nation to lend their weight to efforts that safeguard the environment.

News

Senate Recommends Death Penalty For Kidnappers

Published

8 hours ago

November 26, 2025

Editor

The Senate has passed a resolution classifying kidnapping as an act of terrorism, stipulating that an amendment to the Terrorism Act be made to impose the maximum penalty of death.

The resolution was made during plenary on Wednesday.

Under the new law, according to the upper legislative arm, once a kidnapping conviction is established, the death penalty must be applied.

Nigeria suffers from a persistent security crisis fuelled by attacks and violence by “bandit” gangs that raid villages, kill people, and kidnap for ransom.

In response to recent kidnappings and attacks by terrorists, President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday ordered a total security cordon over the forests in Kwara State.

Series Of Abductions

Bandits had struck the Isapa community of the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting 11 residents.

The attack came about two weeks after and 38 worshippers were abducted from a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in the Eruku community of the state.

Terrorists also attacked St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, in Niger State, abducting more that 300 school children and staff in a resurgence of the mass kidnappings that have long harrowed Africa’s most populous country.

In the same week, 24 schoolgirls were taken from the Government Comprehensive Girls Secondary School, Maga, Danko Wasagu Local Government Area in Kebbi State, but regained freedom on Tuesday.

At least 50 taken from St Mary’s Catholic school also managed to escape, but more than 265 children and teachers are still being held.

Nigeria’s high-profile mass kidnapping was that of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014, when Boko Haram forced 276 girls from their dormitories in the North-East region.

More than a decade later, man of the Chibok girls are still missing.

News

FG Threatens To Seize Dana Air Assets

Published

9 hours ago

November 26, 2025

Editor

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has disclosed that the Federal Government may recover and sell the assets of Dana Air to refund passengers and travel agents whose funds remain trapped following the suspension of the airline’s operations.

The Minister disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at the Ministry’s fourth quarter stakeholders’ engagement to enhance governance for effective service delivery in aviation with the theme: “leveraging public feedback to drive excellence in aviation services”.

According to him, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will be directed to probe why funds trapped by the airline are yet to be refunded.

He revealed that the Authority suspended the operations of the airline as a matter of choice between safety and disaster.

“For Dana, the problem is that it was a choice between safety and disaster. So we didn’t take the commercial thing as priority. The priority was safety, and we all looked at the damning reports that we had met on the table.

“It was a decision of the NCAA to suspend them, but I pushed them to say, look, these are the reports we are seeing on the table about safety record, about lack of standards that put the lives of Nigerians at risk. If they continue flying, I don’t know whether most of us will be here. Many of us would have been victims of one of those flights. God forbid.”

According to him, “I have asked Najomo to dig deep to find out how those passengers and agents will be refunded. He has to dig deep on that.

“One solution will also be that if that same individual or those entities are trying to come back to aviation under any guise, whether to go and register a new AOC or use any business within the aviation sector, they have to go and settle their debts first.

“We should look at their assets. There are assets that are still available. Let them sell their assets. Let’s cannibalize their revenue and pay people. Let’s find a way to go after their assets and get money to pay Nigerians who are owed.

“NCAA should do that because they can’t get away with it.”