16th March, 2012
Ahead of the March 24 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME), stakeholders on Thursday in Lagos urged the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) to ensure a hitch-free examination.
The stakeholders, including lecturers and parents, spoke against the backdrop of criticisms that had trailed previous examinations, which recorded some sharp practices, shortage or non-provision of materials by the board.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in 2010, more than 1.49 million candidates sat for the matriculation exam into polytechnics, colleges of education and the universities across the country.
Professor Lai Olurode of the Social Sciences Department, University of Lagos, told NAN that the examination should be devoid of malpractice or any hitch.
“JAMB should conduct a hitch-free and malpractice-free exam to justify the confidence reposed in it by stakeholders.
“We hope to see a credible examination that will surpass other set standards.
“A situation whereby some candidates, after gaining admission into the university cannot cope, leaves so much to be desired,” he said.
Dr. Olubunmi Ajibade, senior lecturer, Mass Communication Department, University of Lagos, said JAMB should live up to its billing by conducting a credible examination.
“We want to see an examination that Nigerians will be proud of.
“The integrity of the examination should be protected as stakeholders expect much from JAMB,” he told NAN.
In his comment, Mr. Femi Omokunge, the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Yaba College of Technology Chapter, advised JAMB to recruit only people of integrity as examiners and invigilators.
“The Board should avoid a situation whereby institutions will doubt the integrity of the exam,” he said.
A civil servant, Mrs. Olufunke Martins, appealed to the authorities to ensure that the examination was not compromised.
According to her, everything should be done by the board and security agencies to reduce cases of malpractice.
Meanwhile, more than 10, 000 officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been deployed to supervise the examination in 3, 001 centres nationwide.
The Registrar of JAMB, Professor Dibu Ojerinde, said necessary logistics had been put in place to ensure a successful conduct of the examination.