[center]JAMB seeks abolition of post- UME examination[/center]

Considering the lapses observed in conduct and operation and with the introduction of a new system of matriculation examination, the Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) says it is no longer desirable for universities to continue to organise the Post-University Matriculation Examination (Post UME), the registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Dibu Ojerinde, has said.

The JAMB official, who spoke in Abuja during the inspection of the UTME examination, said that since students are writing examinations for admission into six different higher institutions, it would be a great burden to maintain the Post-UME. He also said there are too many lapses in the operation and conduct of the post UME examinations.

Post UME screening was introduced by several universities to test students who have passed the JAMB examination. It is often conducted by the institution into which the candidate is seeking to gain admission.

“As of now, government says there must be a screening, so we would still comply with the directive. However, the problem is that now we have six institutions of choice for the candidates; are they going to go through six institutions for screening?” Mr. Ojerinde said.

Exam still relevant

Minister of Education, Ruqayyatu Rufai, however said the post UME exercise, despite obvious failures in the screening exercise by some tertiary institutions, still remains relevant and will continue until a standardised system is adopted for admitting candidates into higher institutions.

“The Post UME issue is something we have to deliberate more on and make changes where necessary, but as at now, post UME would continue because after this examination being taken by the students now; they will go to their various universities,” said Mrs. Rufai. “We are actually planning to look at its uniformity, standardising it to ensure that a person that sits for post UME in any university can use it in another university; but that arrangement has not been concluded yet.”

Mrs. Rufai restated the federal government’s resolve to carry out a national examination summit to tackle the challenges encountered by examination bodies like JAMB, NECO and WAEC, among others. She noted that there should be uniformity in public exams to make them stress-free for both the examining bodies and the candidates.

Immediate action needed

The JAMB boss, Mr. Ojerinde, said the Post UME has created questions about the board’s capability to conduct free and fair examinations.

He described as unfortunate the exorbitant fees charged by various institutions, which refused to abide by the federal government rule that the post UME charges must not exceed N1000. Some charge as much as N20, 000, he explained.

However, the registrar admitted it would not be easy to scrap the exam. “We have made the mistake of introducing post UME, that’s my opinion,” he said. “Nobody can just wake up one day and stop it easily until everybody is convinced that the job going on in JAMB is okay.”

New Exam

Saturday’s inspection revealed that about 10,000 Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel, as well as 5,100 handheld scanners and detectors were deployed to all the UTME exam centres nationwide to provide security.

Officials from the ministry of education and its parastatals, as well as the media and other independent observers, were on hand to witness the exam.

A total of 1,375,642 candidates are reported to have registered for the examination.

Thanks ray baba 4 dis kind info u too much,we dey expect more,

It will be better if pume is scraped.it doesn't make sense that over 20000 people write an exam in small space unlike a jamb center of less than 1000 people, on top of that costs ie pume Money, accomodation extortion, transport and so on. In the end of it over 75 percent wont be admitted, so why the inconvenience of post jamb? If jamb admited b4 when there was no pume, they can do it again.