Why FG Would Not Scrap Post-UTME – Education Minister

The Federal Government has said that it would not scrap the Post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME).

Minister of Education, Prof Ruquayyatu Ahmed Rufa’I, spoke yesterday in Abuja when the National Association of
Nigerian Students (NANS) visited her.

She said with the introduction of e-testing, the Federal Ministry of Education is making effort to strengthen Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) as well as making it the most competent examination body in the country.

The minister said: “JAMB is still a competent examination body, the Post- UTME was introduced to help checkmate malpractice and get quality students.

“For now, Post-UTME will still go on until we achieve our aim which is total sanitization and eradication of all forms of examination malpractice from the system.”
She said though Nigerians are yet to grasp the effectiveness of JAMB electronic testing, but with time it would be accepted.

On the crisis rocking the University of Abuja, the minister said: “It is sad as the institution, which is supposed to be a premier university, given its location, is turning to be the worst in the country.”

She, however, assured that in the next few months, the Engineering Department of the university would get the required accreditation, buton the interim and with the full support of the students, they would be distributed to other institutions.

Earlier, NANS urged full implementation of the 2013 education budget,even as the students’ body asked the Federal Government to cancel the Post- UME, which it described as means of defrauding Nigerian students by school management.

The students’ body, led by its National President, Hon Yinka Gbedebo,commended the Federal Government for surmounting the numerous challenges bedevilling the nation’s education sector.