Though the 2013 edition of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has partially come and gone, with about 91,610 candidates yet to sit for the Computer Based Test (CBT) billed to hold from Saturday, May 18 to June 1, 2013, candidates have charged government, school authorities and other stakeholders to regulate the 2013/2014 admission season to ensure that qualified candidates gain admission.
Meanwhile recent reports indicate that 103, 000 candidates will be posted to the newly established Vocational and Innovative Enterprise Institutions. In an exclusive interview with Vanguard Learning, the President, Association of Proprietors of Enterprise Institutions, Dr. Andrews Jegede, corrected claims that only 25 candidates would get into such institutions this year. “We have spaces for 103,000 students in this 2013/2014 academic session, and we have already written a letter to JAMB to that effect.” said Jegede.
Analysis of the results
It would be recalled that Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, the JAMB Registrar while speaking to newsmen recently said that the analysis of the results released showed that 1,670,833 candidates applied to universities, 28,977 candidates applied to polytechnics, 28,445 candidates applied to colleges of education while only 25 candidates applied to innovative enterprise institutions. I do not know where the figure ’25’ was got from, but even if that is the case, it is not the students’ choice to be posted to either Vocational Enterprise Institutions or Innovative Enterprise Institutions.
JAMB will do the posting. As an association, we have already asked JAMB for 103,000 students, and I can assure you that we will get them. I can tell you authoritatively that from next year, candidates would have to choose eight institutions when applying for admission. That will include: two universities, two polytechnics, two colleges of education, and two innovative or vocational institutions.”
Be that as it may, focus still remains on the 520,000 admission spaces available across the over 128 federal, state and private universities; 76 federal, state and private polytechnics; and the over 63 federal Colleges of Education, the one question that pops in the minds of many, especially the teeming 2013/2014 admission seekers who scored 160 and above is- would this edition be based on merit?
Sadly enough, it is no longer news that admission racketeering has taken centre stage in most higher institutions, with admission now being sold to the highest bidder. It is also a known fact that parents pay from N50, 000 to as much as N500,000 to highly connected students who are close to lecturers and some academic and non-academic staff to secure admission for their wards.
Also, other hydra-headed issues such as federal character, tribalism, quota system, catchment area amongst others have, over the years, been a clog in the wheel of a credible admission system in the country, especially as some qualified candidates, who come tops in the UTME and Post-UTME conducted by individual schools fail to be admitted.
Faced with these challenges, prospective under-graduates have appealed to government, school authorities and other stakeholders to regulate the admission process to enable qualified candidates gain admission on merit.
Candidates share experiences: Ebere Onyema graduated from secondary school in 2007. Though she has sat for and passed the UTME for five consecutive times, but the admission is not forth coming. She sat for this year’s UTME and scored 187. “I checked my results and it was 187. I chose UNILAG as my first and second choice institution, but now, it’s obvious my score doesn’t qualify me for their Post-UTME. I’m sick and tired of this whole situation and I have sworn that this is the last UTME I will sit for.
“Over the years, I have scored 250 in my UTME, but I wasn’t admitted. Well, my cousin told me that 187 qualifies me admission into the Polytechnic and I pray it comes to pass.”
For Kehinde Babatunde who left secondary school in 2006, he is yet to gain admission despite sitting for UTME since 2006.
“In 2009, I scored 230 in my UTME and sat for the Lagos State University (LASU), post-UTME, where I scored 87, beating the 55 cut-off mark for non-Lagosians. I wasn’t giving admission that year, for reasons beyond my imagination. I was shattered and almost gave up on my academic pursuit, especially as a friend of mine who scored 45 in the Post-UTME was admitted that year.
“This year, I scored 210 in the UTME and I chose the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, and I pray God favours me this time.”
Precious Chijioke is a two-timer. He graduated from secondary school in 2010 and sat for the 2012 UTME, though he couldn’t meet the 200 cut-off mark required to sit for the Post-UTME of Abia State University.
“I registered for this year’s UTME and, unfortunately, my centre was in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State where the biometric capturing machine could not capture my thumbprint. After some delay, I was allowed to sit for the examination, only for me to check my result and saw ‘no biometric verification’. I am appealing to JAMB to please release my result to enable me gain admission this year in Imo State University.”
In an emotion-laden voice, Innocent Esele, a diploma graduate, said his hope of gaining admission into Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, was dashed in 2011.
“After passing the 2011 UTME, I scored 55 in AAU Post-UTME to study Law. After my efforts studying I wasn’t admitted, but a friend that scored 48 was given admission. This shows the level of rot in our admission system as qualified candidates can hardly gain admission on merit. I sat for this year’s UTME and I put in University of Benin, as my most preferred institution, I pray the admission comes this time around.”
Meanwhile, statistics made available by JAMB’s Registrar showed that of the 1,735,720 candidates who registered for this year’s UTME, 1,540,179 candidates had their results released with only 10 candidates scoring above 300 marks; 628 others scored between 270 –299; 33,115 scored 250 – 269; 704,622 scored 200 and above, while 801,804 scored below 200.
Even though Computer Based tests have not been conducted, 738, 375 candidates have already crossed the 200 marks bar. Even if the Vocational and Innovative Enterprise Institutions absorb about 103,000, there would still be over 115, 000 qualified candidates left hanging. Naturally, the race is on for A level programmes by different educational service providers, as well as diploma programmes in different Nigerian universities. Attention has also begun to shift to online learning. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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