Author: Taiwo Ismael

JAMB says varsities, polytechnics, others can start Post-UTME test Sept. 7

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has shifted the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (post-UTME) screening for the 2020 admission processes till Sept.7 in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the country.

The board said the shift in the date of the admission process from the earlier announced Aug. 21 was to accommodate candidates who would be taking part in this year’s school-based Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Board Registrar, made this known on Monday, after a consultative virtual meeting with Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts of tertiary institutions.
According to him, the view of JAMB is that while we go on consulting at a point when it becomes necessary for decision, we should all come together and take decisions.

“Presently as you are aware, WAEC starts the Senior School Certificate Examination on Aug. 17, it will go on till Sept. 7.

“Similarly, on Sept. 2 or thereabout, NABTEB will commence its own examination that will go on till Oct. 15, and immediately after that, NECO starts from the 5th to Nov.18.
“Rather than making candidates run, particularly, when they will have to write their school certificate exam in different towns and rush to universities elsewhere for post-UTME, like somebody rushing from Sokoto to Ibadan for post-UTME, we believe as a custodian of the highest sector of the education system, we should avoid that,” Oloyede said.

The JAMB boss said institutions whose post-UTME screening was mandatory for candidates would have to spread such exercise in two phases.

“For those institutions who want to take post-UTME, that cannot be earlier than the 7th of September and it will be held twice – from 7th September to 4th of October, and then it will be held for the second time on the 18th of November to mop up those who are taking their school certificate examination,” he said.

Oloyede, who commended the various submissions of heads of tertiary institutions during the meeting, said institutions that conducted admissions without the administration of any-post UTME screening, should also ensure candidates whose SSCE results would be released toward the end of the year were not denied participation in the admission exercise.

He said that the board had withheld results of candidates that sat for the 2020 UTME at Correctional Service Centres (prisons) over suspected infractions.

“There are candidates who took exams in the correctional centres that we know are not prisoners, so we wrote to the correctional centres to explain how that happens, because we did not want non-prisoners to take advantage of the concessions we give to inmates,” Oloyede said.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the virtual meeting attracted 488 participants from across all states in the country.

It was attended by JAMB’s Director of Administration, Aliyu Muhammed; Director of Finance, Muktar Bello; Director of Information Communication Technology, Fabian Okoro,; Director of Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, among others. (NAN)

School reopening: JAMB considers new date for admissions

Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), said that it is considering new date for the commencement of 2020 admission exercise due to recent changes in academic calendar for secondary students, particularly those in exiting classes.

JAMB said it had earlier announced August 22nd as the date for commencement of 2020 admission exercise, but will meet with stakeholders on Monday to brainstorm on the possibility of new date that would better accommodate the vagaries of the COVID-19 pandemic.

JAMB spokesman, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, in a statement released in Abuja, on Sunday, said that “as a responsive organisation whose mantra is equity and fairness, the Board desires that every aspiring candidate who had taken its 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) be given equal opportunity to compete with peers for the available openings.

“This is the reason for another meeting with all the institutions with a view to amending the earlier and mutually-agreed date for the conduct of Post-UTME screening and other processes.

“As intellectuals, it is incumbent on JAMB and the various tertiary institutions to always provide practical solutions to perceived challenges for the smooth running of the sector without being prompted by the government. Such solutions, when arrived at, would then be forwarded to the relevant Ministries or Agencies for further inputs and necessary approvals.

“It’s in view of this that the Board is working to pre-empt any unpalatable situation that may arise if institutions conduct their admissions without accommodating the vast number of candidates that are about to take their O’level examinations.”

Fabian disclosed that, consequently, the Board would, at the meeting, be looking at the possibility of ensuring that the various institutions either delay or prolong their screening exercises to accommodate candidates who will be taking the 2020 O’level examinations.