March 09, 2015

Page 1

Newspaper of the Year

•APC petitions ICC over First Lady’s ‘hate speech’ •AND •Makarfi to courts: don’t throw Nigeria into chaos MORE ON PAGES •Peterside: our country is undergoing turbulence 4,5,53&55 •Elections beyond Jonathan, Buhari, says Presidency

...81 D AYS TO GO DA

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

VOL. 10, NO. 3148 MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

N150.00

Borno blast death toll now 62

CBN declares banks sound From Nduka Chiejina, Abuja

•Chad, Niger troops fight Boko Haram •Borno plans task force

B

ANKS have got a clean bill of health from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which ran a stress test on the financial institutions. A statement from the CBN at the weekend disclosed that “the unaudited results of banks and the results released so far, indicated that economic headwinds had not significantly affected returns.” The statement noted that banks had been directed to have effective risk management systems in place especially price hedging, adding that the CBN would continue to Continued on page 4

•www.thenationonlineng.net

M •Emefiele

ORE deaths have been recorded in Saturday’s multiple attacks on Maiduguri, the beleaguered Borno State capital. Reports, which put the toll at 62 – it was 58 initially - said many people had been hospitalised.

From Duku Joel, Maiduguri

A woman attendant at the Specialist Hospital, who preferred anonymity, told our correspondent that “due to the gravity of the injuries of some victims brought to the hospital and coupled with the loss of blood by them, three

could not make it overnight, two died this morning before medical routine checks by the doctor on duty and one is in a critical state”. Many have been discharged after treatment, she Continued on page 4

•INSIDE: FOREIGN RESERVES DOWN TO $30.87B P31 GAS SHORTAGE CUTS 5M JOBS P25

•A child victim of the blast at the hospital ...yesterday.

•A BL OOD Y WEEKEND: A mother sits with her child at State Hospital as he receives treatment for injuries sustained following BLOOD OODY •More victims of the bombing ...yesterday. a bomb blast on Saturday that left dozens dead and many injured in Maiduguri...yesterday. PHOTOS: AFP

Polls: No going back on Card Readers, says INEC

•SEE O ASLO ASL PAGES 2&3

?

WILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15, LAST YEAR EVER RETURN?

‘Policemen’ seize PVCs from owners Cards collection extended to March 22

O

PPONENTS of Card Reader got yesterday some bad news: the machine will be used for the March 28 and April 11 elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did a test run of the machine last Saturday. It was largely successful. This, said an INEC chief, has raised the agency’s confidence in the machine, which it insists will curb rigging. The ruling Peoples Democratic Par-

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

ty (PDP) is leading the opposition against the machine, saying it is new and untested. INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega will meet with Resident Electoral Commissioners on Wednesday in Abuja to discuss the Saturday mock election, especially the use of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Contrary to reports, only one case of a weak Card Reader was recorded

at INEC’s Situation Room on Saturday. INEC yesterday extended the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from March 8 to March 22. As at March 4, the commission had recorded 80.3 percent collection of the PVCs nationwide. A National Commissioner, who spoke with our correspondent, said the electoral body would not drop Card Readers. He said: “Nothing happened during

the mock election on Saturday to warrant going back on the use of Card Readers for the general elections. The deployment of the Card Readers was successful and even international observers from the UN have attested to it. “Contrary to some claims, only one case of Card Reader challenge was recorded at our Situation Room and it was a human thing. Continued on page 4

•PUPIL STABBED IN IBADAN P8 SIX KILLED IN SOLDIERS, WORSHIPPERS CLASH P4


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