By: Gloria Emmanuel The Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, Prof Dibu Ojerinde has threatened to publish in the national dailies, the Universities that are under-utilizing their admission spaces.
Prof Ojerinde, who addressed newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, revealed that most of the Universities do not utilize their prescribed carrying capacities, a situation responsible for low number of candidates being offered admission annually.
According to him, only 35% out of the one million, seven hundred and thirty-five thousand, eight hundred and ninety-two (1, 735, 892) who sat for the 2013 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) secured admissions in Nigerian universities.
The Registrar said, “Most federal universities do not admit up to their carrying capacities. Government has opened up accesses but universities’ management chose not to utilize the spaces in their institution.
“For instance, some departments may have space for 250 students, but the school may admit only 180 thereby denying admission to 70 students.
“I have spoken to most of these institutions but if I am pushed to the wall, I will not hesitate to publish their names in the national dailies”, he threatened.
He said that this year’s examination will be in three modes: Computer Based Test (CBT), Dual Based Test (DBT) and Paper Pencil Test (PPT) while insisting on 2015 deadline for PPT adding that the board has concluded every arraignment to ensure that only CBT exams will be conducted all over the country from 2015.
Meanwhile, Ojerinde disclosed that 1,606,753 candidates applied for the 2014 UTME slated to kick off from 12thApril to 17th May in 392 examination towns in Nigeria and seven (7) foreign centres.
The foreign centres include: Accra in Ghana, Buea in Republic of Cameroun, Cotonou in Republic of Benin; London in United Kingdom, Jeddah in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Johannesburg in Republic of South Africa and Adidijan in Cote D’Voire.
Ojerinde said the figure in 2014 showed a decrease of 129,139 applicants when compared with 2013 figure of 1, 735, 892.
The JAMB boss said the reason behind the decrease in the number of applicants was as a result of the Boko Haram onslaught in the north east of the country.
He disclosed that a total of 174 visually impaired candidates registered for this year’s examination while 196 inmates registered for the 2013 UTME from both the Kaduna and Lagos prisons.
Ojerinde stated that in government effort to create more access to accommodate more students, it has approved the commencement of e-Learning Degree Programme in the country.
According to him “the programme commences lectures on Monday, 19th May 2014 in four universities namely: University of Uyo, Usman Dan-Fodio University, Sokoto, University of Maiduguri and National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN)”.
He said Imo came first with 18,113 in the top ten highest PPT applications by state followed by Enugu and Anambra with 56,873 and 53,946 respectively.
Ojerinde also disclosed that a total of one thousand, eight hundred and sixty five (1,865) centres will be used for the conduct of the PPT exams, one hundred and thirty-three (133) centres for DBT and about one hundred and fifty-three (153) centres for CBT.
Speaking on examination malpractice, the JAMB boss said “following the determination of the board to curb the incidences of examination malpractices, the board will continue to sustain the use of the Biometric finger-print to check impersonation, lateness and proper identification of candidates before admitting them for the examination.
“Anyone caught engaging in exam malpractice will face the music as the full weight of the provisions of the examination malpractice Decree No 33 of 1999 will be applied”.
