Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu
has directed all tertiary institutions that have
conducted post-UTME examination to
immediately refund money taken from
candidates.
The minister has also declared that post-
UTME examinations already taken are null
and void; threatening that any institution
caught still conducting the examination under
any guise would be sanctioned.
The minister made this position known
yesterday, in a press statement issued by
Deputy Director Press and Public Relations,
Ben Bem Goong. The strong-worded
statement reiterated the Ministry’s position
that post-UTME examinations have been
cancelled with immediate effect and no
institution should conduct such
examinations. The minister warned that once
the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board
(JAMB) has certified a candidate worthy of
admission into any of the tertiary
institutions, that candidate must be deemed
fit by the institution.
According to the statement, students who
have already been offered admission by
JAMB may be screened by the institutions but
this must not involve the conduct of any
other entry examination. The candidates can
be screened by verifying their certificates but
not through the conduct of examinations.
The minister stated that it is unnecessary to
subject students to further examinations
when they have been offered examinations
by JAMB since they will still have to go
through between eight or 12-semester
examinations throughout their four to six
years study in the institutions.
The minister, therefore, directed the National
Universities Commission (NUC) and
appropriate departments in the Ministry to
communicate the directive to relevant
agencies and institutions to ensure strict
compliance.
“Those who have already advertised for the
conduct of the Post-UTME under any guise
should stop the exercise immediately as any
university caught conducting Post-UTMNE
will face appropriate sanctions. If any tertiary
Institution has already conducted Post-UTME,
such an exercise stands annulled and money
taken from such candidates must be refunded
immediately”, the Minister said.
The directive to stop the post-UTME
examinations was given by the minister
nearly a month ago. The minister said
through the statement that it was important
to emphasise the directive in order to ensure
that no stakeholder is left in doubt as to
government’s position on the matter.
He affirmed that the responsibility for
admission into public tertiary institutions lies
solely with JAMB and under no circumstance
whatsoever, should anybody or institution
take over that responsibility by proxy.
“The ban is with immediate effect, and under
no circumstance should any institution
violate the directive”.
“Any educational institution after secondary
education is regarded as a tertiary
institution. Therefore all tertiary institutions,
Polytechnics, Colleges of Education,
Universities or by whatever name it is called
after secondary education must be subjected
to admission through the JAMB. At the end of
probationary admission by JAMB, the
candidates can be cleared (screened) for final
admission. For any institution with a
shortfall in admission, such institution can
revert to JAMB for supplementary
admission”.
“Clearing in this case (screening) entails only
the verification of certificates of the
candidates, JAMB scores, and any other
physical examination to ensure that such
candidates are not cultists. After this, the
candidates are qualified for matriculation.
Such screening should be at no cost to the
parents or students and should be done upon
resumption in order to avoid unnecessary
travels in search of admission”, the minister
said,
For secondary school leavers who are
seeking admission into the tertiary
institutions, Malam Adamu said that
subjecting them to too many examinations all
in one year, is traumatic, exploitative and
absolutely unnecessary. This is besides the
cost of travelling, hotel accommodation and
examination fees that parents have to incur
in their bid to secure admission for their
ward.
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