JAMB pegs cut-off points for varsities, polytechnics, others at 180
Paul Obi in Abuja
Following several irregularities and distortion associated with the conduct of Post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the federal government yesterday said plans are underway to scrap the examination.
There are strong indications that government would soon issue a directive to that effect to universities to put an end to post UTME.
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, made this known in Abuja when he declared open the 2016 combined policy meeting on admissions to degree, National Certificate in Education, National Diploma and National Innovation Diploma Awarding Institutions.
The Combined Policy Meeting is an annual platform geared towards harmonising cut-off points for tertiary institutions in the education sector.
The forum also provide opportunity for admission officers and stakeholders from universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions converge to debate on a common cut-off points for admissions.
Adamu who expressed confidence in the UTME conducted by JAMB, rather argued that it was unnecessary for individual institutions to conduct a separate examination to guarantee admissions, given that JAMB already performs such functions.
“As far as I am concerned, JAMB has built a level of confidence in terms of conducting the UTME, a situation where universities go and conduct other examinations is unnecessary.
“If the universities have any complain against JAMB, let them channel their complaints appropriately and we would address it.
“But if JAMB is qualified enough to conduct tests and they have conducted test, then there will be no need to conduct another test for students to gain admission,”Adamu stated.
Adamu who spoke alongside Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Folashade Esan, maintained that government would soon set in motion the machinery that will bring post UTME to its logical end.
However, the policy meeting agreed that 180 be adopted as general minimum cut-off points for admissions to universities, polytechnics, Colleges of Education and other diploma awarding institutions respectively.
JAMB Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Dibu Ojerinden, who moderated the meeting, explained that the preferences for degree awarding institutions was still on the high side.
“Ojerinde further added that the “first choice preference for degree awarding institutions stood at 97.78 per cent as against 1.1per cent for NCE and National Diploma courses.
“Candidates statistics by faculties while putting in for the examination revealed that 105.198 per cent preferred science related courses while 66.97per cent were in favour of education courses.
Meanwhile, Adamu directed JAMB to stop extra charges on several categories of admission modifications, especially change of course, change of institutions and others issues.
Though participants debated the cut-off points, some students believed to have been shortchanged through the Post UTME protested at the NUC, venue for the meeting.
The protesters also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) initiate probes into the various university administrators, especially the utilisation of the Post-UTME funds generated annually.
