Senate probes alleged plot to sack Saraki, destabilise chamber- By Okoro Daniella

 The Senate on Thursday began an investigation into the alleged plot by some members to sack Senator Bukola Saraki as President.

        A Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker, Senator Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi-Central), who raised the alarm through a point of order at the plenary on Wednesday, alleged that the senators were also mobilising civil society organisations and trade groups to protest against Saraki’s leadership.

Order IG to enforce Benue anti-open grazing law, Reps tell Buhari

  

       The House of Representatives on Thursday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to direct security agencies to immediately begin the enforcement of the Open Grazing (Prohibition) Law in Benue State and halt the killings by herdsmen.

       The House passed the resolution in Abuja as lawmakers again condemned the latest attacks on villagers in the Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state where 26 more lives were lost on Monday

We won't spend money on Ajaokuta again -FG-By Okoro Daniella

    The Federal Government on Thursday said it would not repeat the mistake of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration on the Ajaokuta Steel Complex in Kogi State.

      The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who stated this at a press conference in Abuja, also said the present administration would not spend any money to complete the steel plant.

Trump, North Korea's Kim to hold historic meeting - By Okoro Nwaka Daniella

       President Donald Trump has agreed to a historic first meeting with Kim Jong Un in a stunning development in America’s high-stakes nuclear standoff with North Korea.

      Standing in front of the White House, South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong announced the first ever meeting between a US president and North Korean leader, which he said would take place by the end of May.

Trade Unions dangerous to Nigeria’s progress

.Says, past Yobe, Borno Govs sowed the seed of Terrorism .Our Federal Health Institutions overstaffed -FG By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA – Governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has lashed out at the organized labour unions in the country, saying they have destroyed the nation more than they have contributed to it. El-Rufai Speaking Thursday in Abuja at a ‘Governance Matters’ roundtable organized by Development Alternative Incorporation, DAI, the governor said the excesses of the trade unions must be curtailed. “Trade Unions have never served the country well. They have been selfish and everything is about their narrow interests. In general, in Nigeria, trade unions have been a danger to our progress and I think they should be curtailed. “The mistake we made as a country was placing trade unions in the Exclusive Legislative List. If the Academic Staff Unions of Universities ASUU has an issue with the Federal Government, then the state universities will go on strike too. In Kaduna, I warned the Kaduna state University, that if ‘you ever go on strike gain because of somebody else, I will fire all of you’. Advocates “Very Low” Minimum Wage “I think we need to do some things. First, take labour matters out of the Exclusive List because many of us are victims of agreements reached with ASUU by the federal government. The states were never part of such agreements. Secondly, is the issue of minimum wage. Except we set a very low minimum wage, there will continue be issues especially with states that do not have wide tax net. You cannot set the same minimum wage for Lagos and Jigawa. Also, we must apply the labour laws strictly. No work, no pay, because there has to be a trade dispute before anything strike. That is what the law says. “I think the health unions have been the most irresponsible because only an irresponsible doctor will abandon his patients even after swearing to the Hippocratic Oath. I think Nigerian doctors are the only ones on the planet that go on strike. “We have submitted our report on True Federalism and it will be taken to the National Assembly. We hope the National Assembly will stop dealing with inanities and deal with the real issues”, he said. The governor also accused some past governors of Yobe and Borno states for been responsible for the emergence of the Boko Haram sect due to their negligence of the education sector. “We tended to ignore this problem (of out of school children) but this problem when ignored gave us Boko Haram. If you look at education statistics in Yobe and Borno in 2003 and 2004, you could reasonably predict that Boko Haram would happen within a decade. So, this is a huge problem”, he said. On his part, Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole said the federal health institutions are over-staffed while there is a dearth of health officers at the primary healthcare level. “Let me state that Nigeria has a large stock of human resources, the problem is that of distribution. There is a wide gap between the north and the south. Over 60 percent of our human resources are concentrated in Lagos and Abuja and the rest have little to cope with. “There is a state in this country with 23 doctors and 24 hospitals. That means we do not even have one doctor for one hospital. I was at Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital and they said they needed more staff and I said no, that we are over-staffed at the federal level. Over 80 percent of our resources is dedicated to personnel cost and we cannot really deliver on our mandate where the large chunk of allocation is for personnel and then you have a situation where te states cannot pay salaries”, he said. Treat every Incidence of Malaria as Lassa Fever Meanwhile, as part of measures to curb the growing incidences of Lassa Fever, the Federal Government has advised medical doctors and other health practitioners to handle all suspected cases of malaria with extreme care, urging them to first treat such cases as Lassa Fever. “Lassa is entirely a disease that should stay among animals but we have animal-human barriers being jumped and then we are affected. “When healthcare workers are infected, everybody coming in contact with that worker is in trouble and that is why we believe we need to do certain things. We can treat Lassa fever when we detect it early. We are telling our health workers that it is not every fever that is malaria. In the past, once there is fever, they treat malaraia for three, four, five days and when there is no improvement, they change to typhoid fever and treat for another one week and by the second week, the fellow with the viral haemorrhagic fever would have had a renal shut down and start bleeding from al the orifices and then is gone beyond treatment. So, what we are saying is that no one should treat malaria without diagnosis. There are rapid diagnostic tests to treat malaria. So, once you check and it is not malaria, you think Lassa straight away. You have just lost a few hours not two weeks and every suspected case must be treated as a case of Lassa until proven otherwise”, he said. Earlier, Managing Director, Governance, DAI Global, Jeremy Kanthor said the organization is determined to make a lasting difference in Nigeria

By:Okoh Blessing Efua

Osinbajo marks 61st birthday

The SSA on Social Investments Programme, Mrs. Maryam Uwais; CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele; Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu; the SGF, Mr. Boss Mustapher; Minister for Budget, Senator Udo Udoma; Minister for Water Resources, Mallam Suleiman Adamu and others joined Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in marking his 61st Birthday at the State House, Abuja. Also a giant card was presented to him during the the brief ceremony: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo receiving a giant card from the COO Corporate Service, NNPC, Mallam Isa Inuwa while the GGM, GroupnPublic Affairs, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu (2l) and others looked on during a brief ceremony to mark the 61st Birthday for Vice President at the State House, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 08/03/2018 From the right, SSA on Social Investments Programme, Mrs. Maryam Uwais; CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele; Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu; the SGF, Mr. Boss Mustapher; Minister for Budget, Senator Udo Udoma; the Celebrant, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Minister for Water Resources, Mallam Suleiman Adamu and others cutting the cake to mark the 61st Birthday for Vice President at the State House, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 08/03/2018 Vice President Yemi Osinbajo with female staff in his office during a brief ceremony to mark the 61st Birthday for Vice President at the State House, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi

By:Okoh Blessing Efua

NCC reiterates commitment to protect mobile phones users from unwholesome practices Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/03/ncc-reiterates-commitment-protect-mobile-phones-users-unwholesome-practices/

  The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has reiterated its commitment to ensure the protection of consumers of telecommunications services from unwholesome practices by service providers. The Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau of NCC, Mr Abdullahi Maikano, said this at the commission’s 92nd edition of Consumer Outreach Programme (COP) in Ikot Ekpene on Thursday.

  NCC Maikano, represented by his deputy, Alhaji Ismail Adedigba, said COP sought to educate consumers and other stakeholders on contemporary issues generating interest in the telecommunications industry. He said the programme served as a feedback mechanism for the commission in making regulatory intervention for the benefit of the consumers, service providers as well as the industry. “To ensure that telecom consumer is well protected, informed and educated, the commission has developed series of initiatives with the main goal of empowering consumers with appropriate information. “That will ensure that their rights are not only protected but their choices also provide them with value for money. “Consumer education is identified by the commission as one of the most cost effective mechanisms that provides and guarantees consumer protection. “Besides serving as a proactive way of protecting consumers from making wrong choices, it also serves as a preventive measure that protects consumers from being exploited and against fraud. “It is my hope that each of the service providers, present here today, will demonstrate clearly to our esteemed consumers of telecom services the various initiatives by the commission. ‘’The initiatives are put in place to inform, protect and educate consumers of their services,” Maikano said. The director urged participants to take advantage of COP to be well informed ‘’so that service providers do not take undue advantage of them.’’ Earlier, Adedigba said the objectives of the commission’s outreach programmes were aimed at empowering and protecting consumers. He said NCC considered the consumer as a critical stakeholder in the telecoms industry, stressing that it would not relent in ensuring that their rights were protected. “I want to emphasise that focus on consumer did not end with 2017 as year of telecom consumers. “In fact, it has just begun as the commission is not in any way winding down on our avowed commitment to serve the consumer better in all fronts,” he said. According to him, the theme, “Information and Education as a Catalyst for Consumer Protection”, is to educate consumers to stand up for their rights. The deputy director appealed to stakeholders to be responsive to all the complaints raised by the consumers. He also urged participants to spread the messages and issues discussed to others who were not able to attend the programme. Speaking to Newsmen , a consumer, Mr Ndifreke Umanah urged telecom providers to improve the way data expired after every month. Umanah also called on them to allow consumers exhaust their data before its expiration.

By:Okoh Blessing Efua

N26m scam: I was not sent to monitor Fani-Kayode, witness tells court Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/03/n26m-scam-not-sent-monitor-fani-kayode-witness-tells-court/

  Abuja – Mr Victor Ehiabhi, the first prosecution witness in the on-going trial of former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, on Thursday told the Federal High Court, Abuja, that he was not sent to monitor him. Fani- Kayode Ehiabhi, a police officer, stated this under cross -examination by Fani-Kayode’s counsel, Mr Wale Balogun

  fani-kayode-witness-tells-court/Balogun said: “You were sent there to monitor and report all the activities of the defendant (Fani-Kayode) to your superiors. “All you have come to tell this court are fabricated lies because you left the defendant’s house bitter.” Ehiabhi, however, said that he was not correct and that he did not leave the defendant’s house bitter because he never felt bitter towards him. The witness also told the court that he was deployed to provide security to Fani-Kayode, his family and property as is the primary duty of the Nigeria Police. He further said that he was not aware that the defendant, who he had served for almost two years, had complained about his conduct to his superiors before he was withdrawn. The witness confirmed that while being led in evidence on the last adjourned date, he told the court that he received N26 million from the office of the National Security Adviser on behalf of Fani-Kayode. Justice John Tsoho adjourned the matter until May 22 for continuation of trial. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), before Justice Tsoho on a five-count charge bordering on money laundering. The ex-aviation minister was accused of collecting N26 million from the Office of the Former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki and using same for media campaign, contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering Act. He pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail in the sum of N50 million and one surety in like sum. (NAN)

By:Okoh Blessing Efua

Nigerian Senators Abandon Sitting Storm Code Of Conduct Tribunal For Senate President Saraki’s Corruption Trial

  Bukola Saraki, senate president, has appeared at the code of conduct tribunal (CCT) for the resumption of his trial. The former Kwara state governor was accompanied to the court on Thursday by not less than 20 senators. Back at the red chamber, Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, is presiding over the plenary. Only a few senators are present at the sitting. Saraki is being tried on three of the 18 counts of false assets declaration filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).The former Kwara state governor was accompanied to the court on Thursday by not less than 20 senators.

Back at the red chamber, Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, is presiding over the plenary. Only a few senators are present at the sitting.

  Saraki is being tried on three of the 18 counts of false assets declaration filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

  At the last sitting, the case was adjourned after Kanu Agabi, counsel to Saraki, asked the court for more time to respond to the “elaborate” written address of the prosecution.

  In December, the court of appeal affirmed the conclusion of the tribunal on all but the three counts.

  Counts 4 and 5 borders on an alleged false declaration of his assets at the end of his tenure as governor of Kwara state.

  Count 6 borders on the failure to declare his outstanding loan liabilities of N315, 054, 355.92 out of the loan of N380, 000, 000 he obtained from Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB).

By:Okoh Blessing Efua

Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde mocks Real Madrid with hilarious Chelsea comment

GETTY

Ernesto Valverde has mocked Real Madrid with a big Chelsea claim.

BARCELONA manager Ernesto Valverde has mocked Real Madrid.

By MIKAEL MCKENZIE

PUBLISHED: 05:18, Thu, Mar 8, 2018UPDATED: 07:07, Thu, Mar 8, 2018

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The Barcelona boss guided his team to Supercopa de Catalunya victory against Espanyol yesterday without star players Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

  Valverde admitted after the match he rested his key men because of upcoming fixtures against Malaga on Saturday and a crucial Champions League clash with Chelsea next Wednesday.

  However, the 54-year-old could not resist having a sly dig at Real in the meantime when he was asked about Los Blancos beating Paris Saint-Germain.

  Valverde claimed that he is more worried about facing Antonio Conte’s side than coming up against Real in the latter stages of the tournament.

By:Okoh Blessing Efua

Benue killings: Enough of this war, life is sacred — Mark

ABUJA—FORMER Senate President, Senator David Mark, has pleaded that enough of the killings in Benue State and other parts of the country against the backdrop that life is sacred.

  In a statement, yesterday, by his Media Assistant, Paul Mumeh, Mark described as sad and frustrating,  the unabating killings in parts of Benue State despite repeated peace moves between the indigenes and the herdsmen in the state.

David Mark

  Only on Monday, about 26 indigenes of Omusu community in Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state were murdered in cold blood by assailants believed to be herdsmen.

  Mark in a reaction to the incident condemned the unwarranted killings of innocent citizens, pointing out that the crisis was degenerating to something akin to “war without end,” defying all peaceful approaches.

  He said: “I’m aware of various peace initiatives over the incessant clashes resulting to loss of lives and property. That the killings continue unabated is something beyond the ordinary.

  “Let me once again appealed to the assailants to sheathe their swords and allow peace to reign.   Whichever side of the divide and whatever vocation you are engaged in, no progress can be made in a crisis-ridden environment.”

  Mark who bemoaned the degenerating cases of insecurity in the land, said, “From abduction of innocent school girls in Dapchi, numerous cases of kidnapping to outright terrorism against unsuspecting citizens, the situation is frustrating.

  “We must all make concerted efforts to achieve peace in our communities. Our security agencies should rise up to the challenges and protect lives and property.  Life is sacred and we must not take it for granted.”

By:Okoh Blessing Efua

Why 2018 UTME results will not be released immediately – JAMB

Azeezat Adedigba

1 day ago

A cross-section of candidates writing the 2017 JAMB and UTME computer based examination at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Pro-metrics Centre, in Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State on Saturday (13/5/17). 02637/13/5/2017/Idowu Gabriel/HB/NAN

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said it will not release the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results immediately, unlike it did in 2017.

The examination is scheduled to begin on Friday, March 9, to March 17.

The registrar of the board, Ishaq Oloyede, said this during a press conference titled “Conduct of the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination” in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to the registrar, the reason for the delay in releasing the results is to review the activities of the candidates and to minimise the number of cancellations.

“We want to monitor everything that happens through our CCT cameras. Last year, we proved a point that there is nothing extraordinary in the immediate release of results but we had to cancel some results when we found out what happened in some centres. So, if we have to take two or three days to look at the conduct of the candidates before releasing the result so as to minimise cancellation, then we will do so”, he said

Mr. Oloyede said no computer-based centre is allowed to collect any cash from the candidates adding that the board will release the agreed sum of N600 per candidate due to the centres to them.

He also said the board will not relent in its effort to tackle examination irregularities.

“It is fraudulent to engage in multiple registrations, although the new system of capturing live pictures through cameras instead of scanning of pictures, biometrics capturing of fingers and the order of arrangement of names has curtailed incidences of multiple registration”, he said

The registrar urged candidates to adhere strictly to the date and time allocated to them for examination. He said any candidate who fails to turn up on schedule for his or her examination automatically misses the examination.

“The board  is worried about the incessant cases of candidates being defrauded by syndicates, during the registration period. We arrested some of these syndicates. We call on all of you to be on the watch and call on us where such in formation is made available to you”, Mr. Oloyede said.

Mr. Oloyede said his ambition is to sanitise the system. He said the board will not hesitate to deal with anyone trying to ”cheat the system or the candidates”.

“About 6500 permanent and ad-hoc staff are deployed for the examination and each centre is to be manned by 10 officials. It is necessary to disclose that the board has concluded all arrangement for its activities for the 2019 exercise and a calendar has been released on our site”, the registrar added.

Similarly, in a statement  issued on Wednesday, the board gave the statistics of applicants for 2018 UTME.

According to the board, a 1,662,762 candidates registered for the 2018 UTME within a period of of two months as against 1,718,425 candidates who registered within one month ”with an extension of two weeks” in 2017.

The board said the figure for 2018 shows a decrease of 55,642 applicants, which represents a decrease of 3.2 per cent.

(***PREMIUM TIMES’ calculation however indicates a decrease of 55663 applicants which represents about 3.3 per cent***)

The board said findings also revealed that the drop in the 2018 UTME is due to ”measures put in place by the board to forestall multiple registrations and other unwholesome registration practices by candidates”.

The board presented the tables showing the total number of top 10  applications by states of origin of the candidates.

Below is the total number of 10 lowest application made by state of origin of the candidates.

Below is the statistics of admissions in the last 10 years according to the board.

The 1,662,762 candidates will be writing the examination across the country in 605 centres.

By:Okoh Blessing Efua

Joel Obi returns as Rohr snubs Martins, Ajiboye

  Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has rewarded Torino midfielder Joel Obi with a recall to the Super Eagles after four years in  the international wilderness.

  The 26-year-old, whose electric start to his career at Inter Milan was ruined by injuries, has continued his blistering form  for Torino  this season since returning to the field after missing the first half of the 2015–16 season.

  Rohr proved he has been monitoring Obi’s performance in the Italian Serie A this season as he on Wednesday  named him in his 28-man squad for  Nigeria’s  friendly matches against Poland and Serbia ahead of the Russia 2018 World Cup.

  The Eagles face Poland in Wroclaw on March 23 before travelling to London to clash against Serbia four days later.

  Obi, who has scored four   Serie A goals in 15 appearances for the Bulls this term,  will look  to gatecrash Rohr’s 23-man  World Cup squad with a sensational showing in the friendlies.

  Rohr kept faith with the players who helped him realise his dream of  securing a World Cup ticket for Nigeria.

  Mikel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi, Victor Moses, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Abdullahi Shehu, Leon Balogun, William Ekong, Elderson Echiejile, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Iwobi made the list.

  Turkey-based defender Kenneth Omeruo was handed an opportunity to stake his claim for a World Cup place after he was omitted from the majority of the Russia 2018 qualifiers.

  Al Ahly forward Junior Ajayi’s impressive showing in Egypt earned him his first call-up to the senior team.

 Young Deportivo La Coruna  keeper Francis Uzoho is on the list alongside much-vilified South Africa-based goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi and Russia-based defender Brian Idowu,  as well as  CHAN 2018 stars Stephen Ezeh and Gabriel Okechukwu.

  Obafemi Martins’ hopes of  playing in the World Cup for the second time were dashed as  Rohr  ignored calls for  the  33-year-old China-based  forward  to  be given a chance to play his way into the team.

  The Former Gabon manager also shunned  veteran Israel-based goalkeeper Austin Ejide,   Hapoel Be’er Sheva forward Anthony Nwakaeme,  new Shakhtar Donetsk forward Kayode Olanrewaju, Chidiebere Nwakali, Dele Ajiboye, who was touted for a place in the squad, and Scotland-based defender Efe Ambrose.

By:Okoh Blessing Efua

Learn from Ghanaian President, PDP tells Buhari

Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party  has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to use the benefit of his state visit to Ghana to draw lessons from his Ghanaian counterpart, President Nana Akufo-Addo on how to run a peaceful, united and economically vibrant nation.

The party also criticised the President for offering to assist Ghana in her war against corruption, when his own administration allegedly “reeks heavily with corruption as evinced by the Transparency International report which exposed the fact that corruption has worsened in Nigeria under your watch.”

The party, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary,  Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja on Wednesday, said the President and his handlers should have been embarrassed that while the President of Ghana paraded credentials of a robust economy and a peaceful nation, Nigeria, under the Buhari Presidency was plagued with economic recession and an upsurge of violence and daily bloodletting.He said, “When President Buhari was reeling out President Akufo-Addo achievements in his one year in office; his ingenious approach to job creation; the farming-for-job initiative, the senior high school free education, one district-one factory project and one village-one dam initiative among others.

“We hope our dear President reflected on the fact that back home, his inept government had instead, wrecked our once robust economy, the reason he had nothing to present to the world at the ceremony.

“We hope President Buhari recollected that unlike his Ghanaian counterpart, his administration had nothing to show in its first year in office.

“Our President recalls that under his own watch, over eight million Nigerians have lost their jobs, 16 million remained unemployed, 18 million more are underemployed while another 27.44 million refused to work for various reasons related to frustrations occasioned by the  negative policies of his government.”

In the same vein, Ologbondiyan said that he hoped that President Buhari noted that unlike his Ghanian counterpart, who initiated development projects and opened factories, in Nigeria under his watch, many factories had shut down and infrastructures He also alleged that inflation had soared, fuel price moved from N86.50 to N250-N300 per litre in various parts of the country, while the nation’s debt profile had continued to escalate.

He added, “Today, the world knows that what obtains in Nigeria is the direct persecution of opposition members under the guise of a fight against corruption, which has been aided by intimidation of the judiciary and incessant harassment of journalists.

“The PDP therefore urges President Buhari’s handlers to stop embarrassing the nation, especially at the international stage.

“We know that the Presidency sought to use the Ghana visit to curry international endorsement for their 2019 re-election bid, unfortunately, they reaped a harvest of international embarrassment and ridicule.”

The PDP urged the President to be wary of turning Nigeria into a joke in the international arena, “especially when the world knows what is obtainable in his government.”.

By:Okoh Blessing Efua

INEC reports own staff to police, DSS for illegal registration

Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja

   The Independent National Electoral Commission says it has reported some of its senior officials in Taraba State to security agencies for allegedly registering ineligible voters during the Continuous Voter Registration exercise.

   INEC failed to mention if the illegal voters were aliens or underage voters. It also failed to reveal the identities of the senior officials that were given queries.

   In a statement by the Head of Voter Education and Publicity in Taraba State, Fabian Vwamhi, the commission said the illegal voters had been expunged from the register.

   The statement read in part, “Following its laid down processes, INEC Taraba office has discovered that some ineligible voters have been registered in the ongoing CVR exercise.

   “This is not only contrary to INEC’s guidelines for registration, but is also a violation of the Electoral Act.

  “Consequently, the Taraba State office has flagged these illegal registrations for removal from the voter register.

   “In addition, it has queried the electoral officer as well as the registration officer for the centre.

   “It has informed the headquarters of the commission in Abuja and drawn the attention of security agencies for further investigation and possible prosecution of all found to have been involved, including INEC staff.”

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By:Okoh Blessing Efua

Schools should encourage use of security dogs in Borno, says CP- By Okowa Doris Nneka

     The Police in Borno on Thursday said they had deployed personnel to public schools in the state to enhance protection and security in them.

      The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Damian Chukwu, made the disclosure at a monthly police meeting in Maiduguri.

Chukwu said policemen and women had been deployed to various schools in line with presidential directives to secure the schools.

      He said that the command had directed all its units to strengthen and ensure the protection of students and teachers in schools in their respective areas.

He said Police Area commands had also been directed to organise stakeholders’ meeting to enhance security in schools.

     The commissioner said the schools should also monitor the movement of students, teachers, and visitors.

“Schools should encourage the use of dogs to complement the existing security,” he said.

MAN UTD TEAM NEWS: INJURIES, SUSPENSIONS AND LINE-UP VS LIVERPOOL-By Okowa Doris Nneka

       With Manchester United fans still scraping themselves off the ceiling after the thrill of their late, late show in the 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace on Monday, they now ready themselves for the visit of Liverpool to Old Trafford which will decide which team takes second place going into the last eight games of the season.

        Jose Mourinho's side have now come from behind to pick up maximum points in their last two fixtures, but they may well have to raise their game a level against their fierce old rivals if they are to record a third successive victory.

       They do at least have the knowledge that they are now nine points ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea so it would take quite a collapse to fail to make it to the Champions League places at the end of the campaign, but United fans, players and management alike will want nothing less than a top-two finish, having been in first or second place for the entire season so far.

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MAN UTD INJURIES

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      Having been without seven first-team players at Selhurst Park on Monday, United will be hoping that Anthony Martial at the very least may be able to make it for Liverpool's visit. The Frenchman missed the trip to south London due to a knock, but could be back in contention this weekend.

     Ander Herrera remains unavailable due to the muscle injury he aggravated in the Champions League clash with Sevilla, while Daley Blind sits out once more as he continues his rehab from an ankle problem.

Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones have both missed out with knocks in recent weeks but Jose Mourinho will be hoping that at least Rojo might make it for Saturday.

Marouane Fellaini is edging towards a return, but probably won't be fully fit until Swansea City visit Old Trafford at the end of March. Zlatan Ibrahimovic's comeback appears to depend entirely on the player himself following ACL trouble, with Mourinho explaining recently: "Is he injured? No. Does he feel totally happy, ready and convinced that he's in a condition to help the team in this moment? No."

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MAN UTD SUSPENSIONS

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United have no suspension issues, and Liverpool also have a full squad in terms of disciplinary absences. However, Emre Can has nine domestic bookings this season, meaning another booking before round 33 of the Premier League campaign will lead to him being suspended.

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MAN UTD POTENTIAL STARTING LINE-UP

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Jose Mourinho could look to make a couple of changes as he attempts to arrest the recent trend of slow starts. Marcus Rashford's high-impact display off the bench against Crystal Palace may well have won him a starting place in the mind of his manager, while the Portuguese could also have been persuaded by the second-half entrance of Juan Mata.

Eric Bailly could step in at the back after Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof had a rough hour to start Monday's game, and Scott McTominay might find himself overlooked after an under-par 45-minute showing at Palace.

Alexis Sanchez's starting position will be the most fascinating selection issue though, with the Chilean a possible starter in the No.10 position in which he finished the win on Monday.

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LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS

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Most teams would suffer a huge slump after losing £142 million worth of talent, but Liverpool have barely broken stride since selling Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in January.

The Reds are now hot on the heels of United in the race to finish second behind Manchester City, and their forward line of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane has collected 68 goals and 31 assists between them so far this term.

Jurgen Klopp's main injury concern is skipper Jordan Henderson, who limped away from the 0-0 draw with Porto in midweek which completed a 5-0 aggregate Champions League win. However, Henderson insisted afterwards that he should be fine and explained it was nothing more than a dead leg which had led to him leaving Anfield with wrapping on his right leg.

Liverpool arrive at Old Trafford boasting a run which has seen them lose only twice in their last 27 fixtures in all competitions. During that time they have scored 75 goals to 23, and ended the unbeaten Premier League record of runaway leaders City.

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TV CHANNEL & KICK-OFF TIME

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The match at Old Trafford kicks off at 12:30 GMT on Saturday, with live coverage available in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League beginning at 11:30.

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