By Victor Oluwasegun,
The House of Representatives yesterday ordered the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to ensure the immediate abolition of Post-University Matriculation Examination (Post-UME) in the nation’s universities.
To ensure that the resolution is abided with, the House mandated its Committee on Legislative Compliance to enforce it.
Members also resolved that the House committee on Education and Justice should investigate the collection of N10, 000 by the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) from candidates whose aresults are being withheld with a view to release it.
This was sequel to the adoption of resolutions on two motion brought before the House by Hon. Samson Positive and Hon. Abubarkar Shehu Bunu.
In a motion titled: "Abolition of Post University Matriculation Examination (Post UME) in Nigerian Universities," Positive noted that the introduction of post matriculation examination in Nigerian Universities is an aberration.
According to him, the exercise is "subjective, adjudged with stress and also an exploitation of candidates and parents."
He said that the exercise is associated with the risk of travelling long distances by the candidates and that they spend" within the range of N15, 000 to N30, 000.
Positive stated: "The current introduction of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTMA) by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) where candidates have six choices –two of universities and two of Polytechnics and two of Colleges of Education renders Post University Matriculation Examination unnecessary."
He concluded that in spite of the fact that the admission offered by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is provisional, "Nigerian Universities conduct Post Matriculation Examination only to raise their internally generated revenue (IGR) at the detriment of our poor candidates and parents."
THE NATION
