Like Gbajabiamila, it’s my turn to be Speaker, Doguwa declares intention despite murder trial

By Christiana Ekpa

ALawmaker representing Doguwa/Tundun Wada

Federal constituency of Kano State and the Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Alhassan Doguwa who is currently facing a murder trial, has declared his intentions to join the race for the 10th House of Representatives speakership seat.

He however said the ambition will be ultimately pursued if his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) zoned the position to northwest, his geopolitical zone. Speaking at the event where he declared his intention in Abuja, Doguwa said he had paid his dues to the party, stressing it was now time to reward him with the position.

He said: “I am a strong and committed party man and have stated it categorically clear in other fora that because of my absolute loyalty to the party, and my unflinching respect for party supremacy, my ambition will be predicated only on the condition that the party zones

Nurses want upward review of salaries to avoid greener pastures elsewhere

By Albert Akota

TheNational Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, has urged the Federal Government for upward review of their salaries and allowances ranging from Chief Duty, Call Duty, Peculiarity, teaching allowances among others to avoid seeking greener pastures elsewhere.

National President of NANNM, Comrade Michael Nnachi made the call in Abuja at Eagle Square, during the Workers Day celebration.

He said the demand for the review of salaries and allowances was owing to the socio-economic condition of the country, saying that the value of naira has drastically reduced.

According to him, “The value of naira is so low that even our salary is nothing to write home about.

“But I expect that if the Federal Government can give us 70 percent of our consolidated salary, at least it will be able to buy sachets of water, biscuits and other things.

“Nigerian workers have suffered a lot under non-review of salary, difficulties that are unpalatable, some of which are political. Even the issue of COVID-19, for those of us in the health sector, we had suffered a lot.” the speakership position to the Northwest Zone which is my immediate constituency.

Comrade Nnachi also demanded that Nurses should be carried along in policy issues that have to do with decisions about the health sector, adding that over the years, nurses have not been appointed into various key positions of leadership and governance of the country.

“Among our colleagues, we have categories of scholars such as Professors, PHD holders in various universities across the country. We have our people there and there is no position you can think of that nurses cannot hold”, he said.

“I have realized that it is necessary to heed the call of the people who believe in my capacity to seek the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

I am committed to working with my colleagues and all Nigerians to deliver on their expectations and to preside over the house to the best of my ability in the overall interest of the people.

“I have paid my dues; it is time to reward my stewardship to both the parliament and the nation. Kindly permit me to take you a little down memory lane. In 2011-2015, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had majority in the house and controlled the leadership in that dispensation while Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila was nominated by the Southwest Caucus as their Minority Leader. From 2015-2019 when our party the All-Progressive Congress APC had majority in the house, it was only natural that the minority leader transits to Majority Leadership position. If you will recall then, the moment this convention was proposed, I personally agreed to step down from the Majority Leader position which I was earlier tipped for and settled for the Chief Whip position to give room for Rt. Hon Femi Gbajiabiamila to assume the position of Majority Leader.

“Fast forward to 2019-2023 9th Assembly, in keeping faith with the convention of the house, when the Speakership position was zoned to the Southwest, it was only natural that my brother and good friend Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila the then Majority Leader was the only one adopted for the Speakership position, the rest is now history.

“I would leave no stone unturned to galvanize the support of the House to ensure the actualization of the laudable programs and policies of the President-Elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration.

“I plead with my colleagues from the zone to extend to me as a privilege not by right but the same Gbajabiamila treatment because as the saying goes, “what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

“Let me borrow the humble example of our President-elect, Senator Tinubu that emilokan. It is my turn this time around”.

Flanked on his left and right sides by some members of the House including Hon. Miriam Onuoha from Imo State who recently declared her intention to also run for the same office in the House, Doguwa when asked about whether he had the right temperament and attitude to lead his contemporaries said he was a cool-headed person.

He also said his trial in an alleged criminal murder case was not an impediment as the law presumed him innocent until found guilty.

Reminded that religion could be a factor in the race in that the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shetima were both Muslims also, Doguwa said that the election of both men was an indication that religion doesn’t matter to Nigerians anymore.

“I want to say that to the best of my ability, to the best of my knowledge that I am a low level person, humble. I am a low level Nigerian and I will always present myself as such.

“For those who refer to me as a high level, temperamental person, I want to say, by my judgment, my standard that they mis-perceived the man who has four wives and 28 kids in his house, and I’ve never had a divorce anyone. It is only a mistaken misperception.

“It can only be a misperception, or an oversight, or lack of proper comprehension if anybody of my disposition, of my social stature.

“I want to say clearly at this point that the principle of presumption of innocence until one is proven guilty covers me and it does not stop me whatsoever to vie for a position that I know is eminently qualified to vie for.

“But one political point I must stress is that a guilty man who is charged for a case like this would not have gone for a supplementary election and won the way and manner won this rerun.”

JAMB releases 2023 UTME results

By Maryam Abeeb

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board

(JAMB) has released the results of the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted between Tuesday, 25th April, 2023, and Monday, 1st May, 2023.

A total of 1, 595, 779 candidates had registered to take the examination in 708 Computer Based Test (CBT) centres in 105 examination towns in the country.

In a statement, the head of public affairs and protocol, Dr Fabian Benjamin noted that the released results excluded those of candidates who were rescheduled to take their examination on Saturday, May 6, 2023, those absent and those under investigation, as well as those of the visually impaired candidates, which are undergoing processing.

“To check the results, all a candidate needs to do is to simply send UTMERESULT to 55019 or 66019 using the same phone number that he/she had used for registration and the result would be returned as a text message.

“ Also to be noted is the fact that the released results, when checked by candidates, would return the status of the candidates. For instance, with respect to absent or rescheduled candidates, or those under investigation, the response would be: YOU WERE ABSENT, RESCHEDULED OR UNDER INVESTIGATION. Therefore, only candidates who are not under any of these categories would have a returned result,” the statement said.

The statement urged all candidates whose examination were rescheduled to to print their slips on or before Thursday, 4th and Friday 5th May, 2023, so as to know the time and venue of their examination.

“Candidates are to note that they would be grouped in a central location within their respective States to sit the examination hence the need for them to print their notification slips latest by Thursday, 4th May, 2023, so as to make sufficient arrangements to take their examination,” it said.