“We Reject Scrapping Of Post-JAMB Exams” – Muslim Rights Concern

The Federal Government yesterday scrapped the conduct of post
Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations for candidates seeking
admission into tertiary institutions.
The Muslim Rights Concern rejects the abolition of post-JAMB. It is
reactionary, myopic and irritating. It is JAMB itself that should have
been abolished.


Our position is based on the bitter experiences of Nigerian youths and
their parents over the years. Post-JAMB examination was introduced
after the general public and tertiary institutions lost faith in the national
examination body.

There were allegations of bribery and corruption being rampant among
staffers of JAMB who swapped candidates' marks for the highest
bidders.

There were also alleged cases of impersonation whereby parents who
could afford it merely bought high scores for their children who never
wrote any examination. Many brilliant candidates allegedly got low
marks.

Excellence was compromised on the altar of mediocrity. JAMB was
ruining the future of Nigerian youths.
It was the poor performance of JAMB candidates who scored amazingly
high marks but who could not justify their high scores in tertiary
institutions that attracted hue and cry.
They performed woefully after gaining entry into institutions and it was
natural for the schools to do something about it since it was obvious that
JAMB was dumping dullards in the universities and polytechnics all over
the country.

It was an alarming situation. Many undergraduates could not write a
single correct sentence. The quality of education in Nigeria was
deteriorating.

University graduates were performing woefully in job interviews and
prospective employers had problems getting genuinely qualified
graduates. The lion share of the blame for the fall in the quality of
education in Nigeria today should go to JAMB.
Post-JAMB examinations emerged as a corollary of this ugly situation.
The universities and polytechnics needed to separate the wheat from the
chaff.

MURIC is not quite comfortable with government's explanation that all
tertiary institutions were at liberty to conduct screening for candidates
seeking admission into any school because ordinary screening without
written examinations cannot be effective enough. FG should also note
that any type of screening at all must cost the institutions some money.

We call on FG to grant tertiary institutions some level of autonomy
particularly in the area of admission requirements.

FG should also stop JAMB from exposing the lives of teenage Nigerians
to danger through its early morning examinations. It is most irrational
for JAMB to slate its papers for 6.30 am in a country where insecurity is
still a far cry.

Many JAMB candidates who went out to write the 6.30 am during the
last exercise had ugly experiences. Many were forced to travel far
distances and sleep overnight in strange and unsafe places.

Two allegedly lost their lives as they were attacked by ritualists and
armed robbers. One was allegedly raped by hoodlums.
Another was kidnapped and the parents were made to cough out a huge
amount of money. JAMB must put on a human face.

In conclusion, we submit that post-JAMB examination is part of the war
against corruption. It is part of the change mantra.

It has come to save Nigerian youths from the monster called JAMB. It is
therefore JAMB that should be scrapped, not post-JAMB.

Being a statement by Prof. Ishaq Akintola, the Director of Muslim Rights
Concern.

(NL)