Economy
UTME Registration: Candidates Decry delay in Issuance of New SIM Cards
Some candidates for this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have decried the delay in the issuance of new Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards by the various Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).
The candidates expressed their feelings in separate interviews) on Tuesday in Asaba.
SIM cards enable prospective candidates for the 2021 UTME and Direct Entry (DE) to acquire profile codes required for the registration for the Joint Admission and Matriculation Borad (JAMB)-organised examination.
Recall that the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy had lifted the ban on registration of new SIM cards and directed the MNOs to begin issuing new ones to the general public.
The candidates expressed worries on the development, noting that they were already feeling frustrated, as they were tired of queuing to obtain and register new subscriber identification module cards.
Chibuzor James, one of the prospective candidates, said that she has been visiting the MTN office since the ban was lifted, without success.
”I have been coming to MTN office since Monday and they have not registered me. It is so disheartening to sit and wait all day long,” she said.
Emeka Ucheuno, another prospective candidate, said however that he visited the office for the first time on Tuesday and was told to wait till 1 p.m. when registration would begin.
”I am very lucky that I just came here today and was told to wait till 1p.m. before we will be registered. But my friend has been coming without success,” he said.
Gladys Emeruo, said there was the need for a decentralisation of the issuance and registration of SIM cards by the mobile network operators in order to ease the anxiety on those who craved for it.
Anothe candidate, Destiny Okaro said that he was at the Airtel office along Nnebisi Road, Asaba to acquire a new telephone number to enable him to register for the examination, but could not.
“They just told me that they had yet to begin selling new SIM cards. One of the workers said he was not certain when they would start selling.
“I don’t want to use my brother’s phone number to register because it will cause some problem of identification for me. That’s why I want my own line,” he said.
Recall that the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyode few weeks ago, said the board had applied for a waiver from government to allow applicants for this year’s UTME to obtain new SIM cards for registration.
Oloyode emphasised that the candidates must make use of accessible SIM cards which had never been used for UTME/DE registration.
He als said that the board would go into partnership with the National Identification Management Commission (NIMC) on the required National Identification Number (NIN) for UMTE registration.
”Everyone who wants to register with the board must have completed their registration with NIMC, because this year, all we need is first, your NIN.
”Once you send it to 55019, no name is required and we will continue from there. We will pull your data from NIMC that’s all,” the JAMB boss had stated. (NAN)
The Nigerian Exchange Ltd. (NGX) continued its bullish trend on Wednesday, gaining N183 billion.
Accordingly, the market capitalisation, which opened at N59.532 trillion, gained N184 billion or 0.31 per cent to close at N59.715 trillion.
The All-Share Index also added 0.31 per cent or 303 points, to settle at 98,509.
68, against 98,206. 97 recorded on Tuesday.Consequently, the Year-To-Date (YTD) return increased to 31.
74 per cent.Gains in Aradel Holdings, Zenith Bank, United Bank For Africa(UBA), Oando Plc, Nigerian Breweries among other advanced equities drove the market performance up.
Market breadth closed positive with 34 gainers and 17 losers.
On the gainers’ chart, Africa Prudential, Conoil and RT Briscoe led by 10 per cent each to close at N14.30, N352 and N2.42 per share, respectively.
Golden Guinea Breweries followed by 9.95 per cent to close at N7.18, while NEM Insurance rose by 9.74 per cent to close at N10.70 per share.
On the other hand, Julius Berger led the losers’ chart by 10 per cent to close at N155.25, Secure Electronic Technology Plc trailed by 9.52 per cent to close at 57k per share.
Multiverse lost 7.63 per cent to close at N5.45, Haldane McCall dropped 6.07 per cent to close at N4.95 and Honeywell Flour shed 5.62 per cent to close at N4.70 per share.
Analysis of the market activities showed trade turnover settled lower relative to the previous session, with the value of transactions down by 49.44 per cent.
A total of 320.10 million shares valued at N6.48 billion were exchanged in 7,943 deals, compared with 939.41 million shares valued at N12.81billion traded in 9,098 deals posted in the previous session.
Meanwhile, ETranzact led the activity chart in volume with 70.27 million shares, while Aradel led in value of deals worth N1.22 billion.(NAN)
The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the Yuan, weakened 22 pips to 7.1870 against the dollar on Monday.This is according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.In China’s spot foreign exchange market, the Yuan is allowed to rise or fall by two per cent from the central parity rate each trading day.
The central parity rate of the Yuan against the dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day. (Xinhua/NAN)
Arewa Youths Initiative for Energy Reforms (AYIFER), has urged Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to do everything possible to bring Kaduna Refinery back into operation.
National Coordinator of the group, Mr Bashir Al’Amin, stated this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.
Al’Amin specifically called on the Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mallam Mele Kyari, to do all within his powers to rejuvenate the refinery and bring it up to global standard.
He said that having delivered the Port Harcourt refinery, coupled with the establishment of Dangote Refinery in Lagos, attention should be shifted to Kaduna refinery for easy spread of petroleum products.
“We are calling on Malam Mele Kyari to expedite action on Kaduna refinery so we can be at par with other regions in the country.
“We equally beg the NNPCL to do professional work in rehabilitating the old refinery and deliver a standard and functional petrochemical refinery and not a blending plant.
“Kyari should resist any temptation that could make him do something that can jeopardise his good image,” he said.
Al’Amin said that since the extinction of groundnut pyramid and textiles in Kano State as well as PAN in Kaduna State and with the Kaduna refinery getting moribund, a lot of youths had lost their jobs.
According to him, all their hopes in the north are tied to the legacy refinery, expressing the hope that God would use Kyari to deliver it well and on time.
He said that the group was solidly behind NNPCL in prayer and would be ready to celebrate the company if its expectations were met. (NAN)
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