as to whether it is right or
wrong to subject candidates who sit
for examinations conducted by the Joint
Admissions
and Matriculations Board
(JAMB) to another round of
examinations by the respective
universities has been on for long.
A number of lawmakers were of the
opinion that such examinations were
not only superfluous, but exploitative.
They insisted that JAMB has the
statutory powers to conduct entrance
examinations into universities and then
polytechnics and colleges of education,
and that any other examination
conducted after a candidate has passed
JAMB exam
is against the intent of the
law. The House of Representatives had
actually, in May 2010, directed the
Ministry of Education to abolish Post-
JAMB examinations in the universities.
But another group of lawmakers
insisted that JAMB has lost its relevance
and
that the institution should be
scrapped, having outlived its relevance.
In the heat of the arguments,
The debate
Education Minister, Professor Ruqquayat
Rufa’i, had declared that both JAMB
and
the universities have the legal teeth to
conduct examinations. She said that the
universities
are empowered to screen
results presented by JAMB candidates
and offer admissions when satisfied.
According to her, the Federal Ministry of
Education recognises the powers of
the
two institutions and the need to give
the best to Nigerians through
qualitative education.
But then, there is beauty in conducting
investigations and public hearings.
Through such steps, the parliament,
which is not in any way all-knowing,
can get the benefit of expert opinions
and then come to concrete conclusions.
That is what the Senate did with its
investigations into the conduct of Post-
Universities Matriculations Examination
(UME) being conducted on candidates
who score 200 and above in JAMB
examinations by the universities.
The Senate, on 13 October, 2011,
mandated its Committee on Education,
headed by Senator Uche
Chukwumerije, to conduct proper
hearing into activities of the universities
in
the conduct of Post-UME
examinations. Contributors to the
motion moved by Senator Heineken
Lokpobiri expressed divergent views.
While a section of the Senate wanted
Post-UME examinations scrapped,
others insisted it was a way of filtering
the best candidates for university
admission.
Last Thursday, the Senate Committee
on Education returned to the floor with
findings of its investigation. The
committee submitted that it has found
that the Post-UME examinations are
proper and that they do not infringe on
the rights and powers of JAMB to
conduct matriculation examinations.
While approving the recommendations
of the Senate committee, the
lawmakers however urged the
universities to consider holding the UME
and
Post-UME examinations on week
days, rather than Saturdays. The
decision was reached as a way of
frustrating the trend by which
mercenaries are hired to write such
examinations.
One other issue that has come into the
fore in the JAMB/universities row over
the conduct of examinations is the
allegation that the universities were
charging candidates heavily in order to
raise funds from the Post-UME
examination. The Senate adopted the
report of its committee which
recommended that universities must be
dissuaded
from exploiting candidates
through the Post-UME. In adopting the
report, the Senate barred universities
from collecting more than N2,000 for
the examination while JAMB was asked
not
to collect more than N4,000 per
candidate.
The Senate also called attention to
what is popularly known as “Miracle
Centres” or JAMB special centres. The
upper legislative chamber found that
the conduct of Post-UME was not at
variance with the laws setting up the
Universities Matriculations Examinations
(UME) conducted by JAMB. In effect,
the Senate ratified the conduct of Post-
UME and only proffered ways out of
the perceived anomalies.
Also, following the adoption of the
Senate committee report, the
lawmakers asked JAMB to increase the
penalties stipulated for anyone found
guilty of examination malpractices and
irregularities in its examinations. To
show it was ready to bark and bite,
the Senate declared its readiness to
approve the suspension and possible
removal of any chief executive of
tertiary institutions who flout the
prescribed sum for the post UME
examinations. The lawmakers also
declared that admission into tertiary
institutions should be restricted to the
capacities of the different institutions so
as
not to overstretch the facilities and
resources.
The findings of the committee were
completely at variance with the
submission of most senators when the
upper chamber first heard the motion
on the probe of the Post-UME in
October last year. On 13 October, 2011,
Senator Lokpobiri had moved a motion
seeking a probe into activities of the
tertiary institutions in subjecting
candidates to further examinations
after they might have passed the
UTME. Senator Lokpobiri had observed
that JAMB was empowered to conduct
examinations into all universities,
polytechnics and colleges of education
adding that the board was also
responsible for the collation and
dissemination of information on
matters affecting admissions into the
tertiary institutions.
According to him, while JAMB had the
statutory powers to conduct
matriculation examinations, the
universities and other tertiary
institutions are empowered to conduct
examinations and grant degrees,
diplomas, certificates and other
distinctions to anyone who has
completed a course of study approved
by the governing board of such
institution.
The senator found it objectionable that
universities now conduct Post- UME,
charge fees and subject candidates to
series of tests and interviews. He
submitted that such examinations,
apart from being at huge costs to
parents and guardians, also amounts to
a clear violation of the JAMB Act.
Chairman, Senate Committee on
Works, Senator Ayogu Eze, also
submitted that the Post-UME amounts
to a rip off of unsuspecting parents and
guardians and that it must now be
stopped. He said that the law
establishing JAMB empowers it to
conduct entrance examinations and not
the universities. The senator indicated
that “the universities are disobeying
the laws of the land. They use this
Post-UME to manipulate admissions
and admit only those they wish to and
ignore well qualified candidates.’’
According to the senator, what the
country can do if it founds that the
integrity of JAMB was being called to
question was to overhaul the institution
and
prevent the universities from
usurping the powers of JAMB.
Another senator who backed Ayogu
Eze’s submission was Senator Nkechi
Nwaogu who submitted that subjecting
candidates
to a second examination
after the UME was unnecessary and
that JAMB should be strengthened to
restore public confidence.
Again, Senator Nenadi Usman added
her voice, indicating that the whole
concept of Post-UME was illegal and
against the law. She said: “No matter
how good an intention is, if is illegal, it
is wrong. I believe for the universities
to want to go into Post -UME,
something must have gone wrong with
JAMB.
So if the universities see
something wrong with JAMB, they
should bring a bill and if it scales
through, they will have a law backing
their actions.’’
Between October 2011 and February
2012, the music has however changed,
showing the beauty of proper
investigations. The Senate had no
trouble, last Thursday, approving the
recommendations that both JAMB and
universities have the powers to
conduct examinations and that
screenings by universities can only
enhance the quality of intakes. This
decision should lay the debate to rest.

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/politics/35929-jamb-universities-and-miracle-centres-