Politics
2019 UTME: Proprietress Hails Performance Of Visually Challenged Candidates
Bethesda Home for the Blind in Mushin, Lagos State, says the performance of its candidates at the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is a sign of greater things to come from the school.
The proprietress of the school, Mrs Chioma Ohakwe, made the statement in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
According to her, the heart warming and encouraging performance, was a product of the hard work, dedication, commitment and determination put in place by both the staff and students of the home.
“This year, we enrolled 25 visually impaired candidates for the JAMB organised UTME as against the 23 that sat for the same examination in 2018.
“One out of these 25 visually challenged candidates posted the highest score of 275 while the lowest was 192.
“This performance is an improvement over that of 2018 where the highest score by one of the candidates was 237, while the lowest was 189.”
She attributed the secret behind the performance to early preparation, commitment and dedication on the part of the teachers and determination on the part of the students.
“We are indeed proud of this performance as it showed that all the efforts put into preparing the candidates ahead of the examination were not in vain.
“Again, we prepared them psychologically, by asking them to take their destinies in their hands while bringing to the fore, the mode of the examination for persons in their category, which is dictation as was applied the year before,” she said.
Ohakwe assured the children that the home, through the support of the public and other stakeholders, would continue to do its best for them.
“The home would ensure that they were carried along and exposed to various opportunities open to their sighted colleagues in every sphere of life”, she said.
Our source reports that JAMB had at its recent 2019 Policy Meeting on Admissions, appealed to the heads of tertiary institutions across the country to give placements to all such special persons who must have met the admission requirements.
In his presentation at the meeting, Board’s Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, had said: Candidates who sat for UTME in foreign countries, prisons, blind and deaf candidates are to be exempted from the Post UTME tests.
According to him, the list of the respective candidates in these categories will be made available to various tertiary institutions for guidiance and necessary actions.
“This should be treated by the institutions under affirmative and inclusive actions for the accomodation of these categories of candidates.
“The board and tertiary institutions are also to ensure that these categories of candidates who meet minimum requirements are admitted.
“Also that how they are progressing are monitored in the various institutions for the purpose of confirmation of the effectiveness of the policy,” Oloyede had said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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