ANXIETY
appears to have taken over the minds of potential tertiary education students
and their parents following their endless wait for JAMB to release other
batches of admission list as many universities have commenced lectures for some
100 level intakes.
Our
findings revealed that the fate of candidates who sat and passed the 2017
Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) is hanging in the balance.
They are wondering whether to buy another JAMB form or to continue to wait for
the admission list, as sales and registration end, February 3.
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The
strike embarked upon on December 4, 2017 by the non-teaching staff unions in
the universities under the umbrella of Joint Action Committee, JAC, has since
However,
authorities of many public universities are heaping the blame for admission
delay on the doorsteps of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities
(SSANU), Non- Academic Staff Union of Universities and Associated Institutions
(NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
paralysed
activities in many public universities.
In
the interim, JAMB has given universities ultimatum to finalise all admissions
on or before January 25, 2018.
Admission
screening
To
meet the deadline, many institutions have carried out admission processes, in
spite of the strike. In UNILAG, a visit by Vanguard on Tuesday showed that
deans and sub-deans conducted admission screening in some departments.
Expressing
happiness over the commencement of lectures, Opeyemi Amusa, a 100 Level Law
student said: "After several weeks of staying at home, my department
eventually did the screening in the Board Room. I am happy to be in school
after completing my screening."
On
his part, Mr. Sunday Josiah who brought his son for screening said that his son
would have missed the screening and subsequently, his admission but for timely
information by a close family friend. He said: "I thought the suspension
of schools' activities by NASU affected the screening, only to be called by a
family friend that the departments have commenced the screening without NASU
involvement."
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Also,
in the Faculty of Arts, students were seen lining up at the office of the Sub-
Dean, Creative Arts Department, undergoing their screening. Joshua Igwe, one of
the candidates said, "I am here for the screening as my name came out on
the merit list. I can now say I'm proudly a UNILAG student."
Efforts
to speak to the Dean of Law proved abortive, as a staff said they were not in
position to speak on the development.
In
his reaction, Mr. Aliu Balogun, a parent, lamented the frustration of his son
who passed UTME and post-UTME without admission. He said: "Since JAMB
started
the
2018 university admission process, we have been complying with the step by step
directives. My son, Kareem Onimisi Balogun scored 227 in UTME for Mass
Communication at the University of Ilorin.
"He
equally scored 68 per cent in post-UTME Computer-Based Testing, CBT screening.
Up till now, we are still awaiting his name to be published among others, by
JAMB. Several visits to JAMB website keep giving us the same feedback thus
'Admission status not yet confirmed.'
"Meanwhile,
I know a student from the same institution who scored 185 in UTME and 54
percent in post UTME and has secured a provisional admission at Unilorin to
read the same Mass Communication that my son scored 227 in UTME and 68 percent
in post UTME screening could not get. What is going on in this country?"
According
to him, it became frustrating when he discovered that some fresh 100 level
students at Unilorin have started receiving lectures, while his son and others
were still at home.
"I
am in a dilemma whether to obtain new JAMB form or to keep expecting the
examination body to do the needful. We appreciate the innovation by JAMB, but
they need to assure parents that their wards can be admitted when they score
good grades."
Speaking
in the same vein, Faith Ugbo who wrote the 2017 UTME stated that she passed her
exams and also the post-UTME screening, but has not been offered admission into
the University of Lagos.
She
said: "During my UTME, I scored 237, while my aggregate score for post
UTME was 59.63 percent. As I speak my name is nowhere to be found in the
admissions list of the University of Lgos, my first choice. Even when I chose
Education in Chemistry, a less competitive course, I was still not offered
admission. What is going on, please? If the problem is coming from JAMB or the
University of Lagos, I want to know."
Meanwhile,
candidates who obtained admission forms for Social Development and
Administration, SDA, under Human Resource Development Centre in the Department
of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, said their position is uncertain as
their counterparts who got admission through JAMB have already commenced
lectures.
According
to them, the result of the examination taken in December last year, was
expected to be out two weeks after, but it is yet to be released six weeks after.
Speaking with Vanguard, Isaac Oghene said he felt very nervous and uncertain
about the programme because he is yet to know his admission status.
"I
am not happy because I have been nervous and uncertain since UNILAG has not
released the results due to the ongoing strike.
Nervousness
and uncertainty
"This
is even compounded by the fact that Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board
form is out and presently, I am in a dilemma whether to buy the form or not.
What if I buy it and I pass the exam?" asked a confused Oghene.
The
admission seeker, however, pleaded with all concerned to suspend the strike. He
said: "I want to appeal to NASU to end the strike urgently so that we will
know our fate."
Mrs
Stella Onyegbuna, a parent whose daughter also sat for the SDA examination,
said she is currently opting for plan B, to buy JAMB form, as the delay has
caused her and her daughter discomfort.
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"How
can any parent be happy, after several weeks of her ward writing an exam and
nothing is heard of the results? The delay has caused us pain and headache, I
am thinking of a plan B to get her a JAMB form," lamented Mrs Onyegbuna.
Source: Vanguardnews
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