The Registrar/Chief Executive of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Dibu Ojerinde, has reacted to the protest at the University of Lagos by parents and candidates who could not access the university’s admission.
According to him, the policy introduced by JAMB, for which he has been criticised, “is actually meant to help the candidates not only to get admission but to get it on time.”
Ojerinde explained that the decision to reallocate candidates who cannot be admitted into their choice institutions because of the high cut-off marks set by the institutions for the various courses, to other federal, states and private institutions in that order, depending on the availability of spaces; choice of the course of the candidate; geographical zone of the candidates’ first choice and the performance of the candidates, was to help the candidates and reduce the numbers of qualified candidates who miss out on admissions yearly due to limited spaces.
He noted that JAMB had made the situation clear to the institutions during its policy meeting on 14th July, after it held discussions with the representatives of the federal, state and private universities where the degree of the problems of candidates were presented and solutions were proffered.
“By this approach, wastage of high scores will be reduced, the fate of the candidates will be determined on time and yet the interest of their areas of study may be satisfied,” Ojerinde stated.
He explained that the decision became imperative because “the big universities are overloaded” while others have spaces that are not filled.
“Can you imagine 8,000 students seeking admission to study law in a university that will take only 250 candidates for law? The remaining 7,750 candidates will wait endlessly and hopelessly till the end of the admission. Or imagine 7,500 candidates seeking admission to study medicine in a university. Of these 7,500 candidates, 2,000 scored above 250 in the UTME. The university has a carrying capacity of only 150 candidates for medicine. The remaining 7,350 who scored above 200 will be wasted. Particularly, 1,750 candidates who scored above 250 will be wasted while other universities either do not have enough candidates or high scoring candidates,” Professor Ojerinde further explained.
He added that JAMB had discovered that courses like Biological Sciences, Pharmacy, Agricultural Engineering and related courses are, in most cases, without enough candidates in the universities while everyone scampered to study medicine and only a small percentage eventually get admitted.
“We are saying; let’s give them a feel of chance somewhere else that has not gotten enough candidates for law or medicine by sending the names of these high scorers to “needy” universities. In addition, the concept of selection by merit, catchment area and educationally less developed states will be adequately catered for.
“However, I am not saying that everyone will get admission or even get their original choice of course of study. But it is better than wasting the time, finances, and good scores of these candidates. We need to fill the available spaces as given to us by the regulatory bodies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC); National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
” But if a candidate does not want the given opportunity, he can decline the offer and just refuse to take any step,” the JAMB Registrar stated.
Ojerinde indicted some so-called educational consultants who have hidden agenda, which are being thwarted by JAMB’s proactive steps, as being behind the protests, warning that: “This is a period of CHANGE. If they do not CHANGE they will be CHANGED.”
Tag: Dibu Ojerinde
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UNILAG protest: JAMB explains new admission policy
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JAMB exams hitch- free in Abuja, tight security in Yobe
•Minister backs cancellation of PPT in 2015
•Ojerinde, Perm Sec deny killing of candidates in BornoTHE conduct of the 2014 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), Paper Pencil Test (PPT) and the Dual Based Test (DBT) was hitch- free in Abuja yesterday.
The Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, who monitored exercise alongside JAMB registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde and the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, Dr. Mac-John Nwaobiala, welcomed the decision to cancel the PPT in 2015 as best for the education system.
Nigeria, Wike said, cannot afford to lag behind other developing countries of the world.
The CBT holds on Saturday May 17 in various centres within and outside the country.
Wike said: “The CBT will eliminate exam malpractice and the issue of depending on anybody to give you answers does not arise.
“What JAMB is doing for me is a good development and from what we are seeing now by next year we will only have Computer Base Test (CBT). I think we are moving on well”.
On the 10- month old Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), strike, the minister said: “We are discussing with ASUP and the colleges of Education. We believe they will make some sacrifices for us to move forward.
“Education is important to everybody. No government will be happy that students are roaming the streets. We must promise what is practicable.
“Not just making promises without fulfilling them. Be rest assured that it will be resolved”.
Few candidates, who arrived the centres late, were not allowed in.
It was also observed that some of them did not know how to use computer to answer questions.
Reacting to reports of an attack in Borno where many people, including UTME candidates were said to have been killed, Ojerinde said there was nothing like that.
He said: “They were not JAMB candidates, although there was an attack. JAMB candidates who were supposed to go to Borno to write their exams have decided to stay at home.
“There are about 400 of them. We have told them we will cater for them. They are afraid of what will happen to them. We got information from Bauchi, Lagos, Ilorin, Kaduna.”
Nwaobiala corroborated: “No child coming for JAMB examination was attacked. There were some challenges that came up and the feeling was that since there were disturbances in that area, it might affect student’s movement.
“What we are doing now is to ensure we have an opportunity. The CBT is coming up so they will have the opportunity to write the exam. There will be no disenfranchisement of the candidates”.
In Yobe, there was tight security as the exercise held across all the centres.
The exam held in major towns like Damaturu, Gashua, Potiskum and Geidam.
Our correspondent, who monitored the exams in Damaturu and Potiskum, observed that heavy measures were taken to prevent security breaches.
Candidates were screened at the gates by stern-looking security men before they got to their venue.
Many were seen patrolling the environments as the examination lasted.
Investigation revealed that some centres in the state from Buni Yadi were collapsed into others.
The centre at Federal Government Girls College Potiskum was also merged to Federal College of Education (Technical)Potiskum.
Most of the candidates, who spoke with Sunday Nation, were grateful to God for seeing them through the exams.
No official of JAMB was ready to speak.
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Over 1.5m candidates to write Saturday’s UTME
One million, six hundred and six thousand, seven hundred and fifty-three (1,606,753) candidates will on Saturday write the 2014 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) across Nigeria and abroad.
The examination, which will end on the May 17, will hold in 392 examination towns in Nigeria and seven overseas.
The Registrar/Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, spoke yesterday in Abuja on the examination.
He regretted that only 35 per cent of the 1,735,892 candidates who sat for the 2013 UTME secured admissions in Nigerian universities.
Ojerinde addressed reporters in Abuja to announce the beginning of the examination date and preparations for the task.
The registrar blamed the poor admission placement in the universities on the management of the institutions who he said did not utilise the prescribed carrying capacities of 50 per cent.
He said: “Most Federal universities do not admit up to their carrying capacities. The government has opened up accesses but universities’ management chooses not to utilise the spaces in their institutions. For instance, some departments may have space for 250 students, but the school may admit only 180, thereby denying admission to 70 students.
“I have spoken to most of these institutions but if I am pushed to the wall, I will not hesitate to publish their names in the national dailies.”
He said this year’s examination would be in three modes: Computer-Based Test (CBT), Dual-Based Test (DBT) and Paper Pencil Test (PPT).
The JAMB chief insisted on the 2015 deadline for PPT, adding that the board would ensure that only CBT examinations are conducted all over the country from 2015.
The foreign centres for the 2014 UTME include: Accra in Ghana; Buea in Republic of Cameroun; Cotonou in Republic of Benin; London in the United Kingdom (UK); Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Johannesburg in Republic of South Africa and Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire.
Ojerinde said the figure for 2014 showed a decrease of 129,139 applicants, compared to 2013 figure of 1,735,892.
The JAMB chief said the decrease in the number of applicants was caused by the Boko Haram onslaught in the Northeast.
He assured that the examination would go on, despite the security condition.
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JAMB: over 1.5m candidates to write UTME
One million, six hundred and six thousand, seven hundred and fifty-three (1,606,753) candidates will on Saturday write the 2014 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) across the country and abroad.
The examination which will end on the May 17 will take place in three hundred and ninety-two (392) examination towns in Nigeria and seven (7) foreign centres.
Registrar/Chief Executive of Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde who disclosed this on Tuesday revealed that only 35 percent out of the one million, seven hundred and thirty-five thousand, eight hundred and ninety-two (1, 735, 892) who sat for the 2013 UTME secured admissions in Nigerian universities.
Ojerinde blamed the poor admission placement in the universities on the management of the institutions whom he said does not utilize the prescribed carrying capacities of 50 percent.
According to him, “most federal universities do not admit up to their carrying capacities. Government has opened up accesses but universities’ management chooses not to utilize the spaces in their institution. For instance, some departments may have space for 250 students, but the school may admit only 180 thereby denying admission to 70 students.
“I have spoken to most of these institutions but if I am pushed to the wall, I will not hesitate to publish their names in the national dailies,” he threatened.
He said that this year’s examination will be in three modes: Computer Based Test (CBT), Dual Based Test (DBT) and Paper Pencil Test (PPT) while insisting on 2015 deadline for PPT.
He said that the board has concluded every arraignment to ensure that only CBT exams will be conducted all over the country from 2015.
The foreign centers for the 2014 UTME include: Accra in Ghana, Buea in Republic of Cameroun, Cotonou in Republic of Benin; London in United Kingdom, Jeddah in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Johannesburg in Republic of South Africa and Abidjan in Cote D’Voire.
Ojerinde said the figure in 2014 showed a decrease of one hundred and twenty-nine thousand, one hundred and thirty-nine (129,139) applicants when compared with 2013 figure of one million, seven hundred and thirty-five thousand, eight hundred and ninety-two (1, 735, 892).
The JAMB boss said the reason behind the decrease in the number of applicants was as a result of the Boko Haram onslaught in the north east of the country adding that examination will go on despite the security condition.
He disclosed that a total of one hundred and seventy-four (174) visually impaired candidates registered for this year’s examination while one hundred and ninety-six (196) inmates registered for the 2013 UTME from both the Kaduna and Lagos prisons.
Ojerinde stated that to create more access to accommodate more students, the government has approved the commencement of e-Learning Degree Programme in the country.
According to him “the programme commences lectures on Monday, 19th May 2014 in four universities namely: University of Uyo, Usman Dan-Fodio university, Sokoto, University of Maiduguri and National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN)”.
He said Imo came first with 18,113 in the top ten highest PPT applications by state followed by Enugu and Anambra with 56,873 and 53,946 respectively.
Ojerinde also disclosed that a total of one thousand, eight hundred and sixty five (1,865) centres will be used for the conduct of the PPT exams, one hundred and thirty-three (133) centres for DBT and about one hundred and fifty-three (153) centres for CBT.