By Dr. Raphael Ogar Oko
As the nation is battling with the challenges of tertiary education in Nigeria, we are being greeted again with the announcement to sell admission examination forms to applicants who are desirous of tertiary education in Nigeria. The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board is
again on the path of selling over 2 million application forms to Nigerian students and youths. In view of the reality whereby ASUU remains on strike, last batch of applicants are yet to be admitted and over 1.2million cannot find placement in any tertiary institution in Nigeria, I think that it will be very abnormal to begin another series of sales of forms.
To this end, I enjoin all Nigerians to join me in appealing to Mr. President of Nigeria, the Senate President, Speaker of House of Representatives, the Minister of Education, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission and the Registrar, JAMB to consider restraining JAMB from sales of the 2014 admission examination forms to innocent Nigerians, whom they cannot assure of offering admission to. Out of 1.7million that took part in JAMB examination this year, the promised 500,000 are not admitted. Why should JAMB begin another money collection from Nigerians in the name of sale of admission examination forms?
JAMB examination has not been based on any new knowledge acquired or taught after secondary school which students were subjected to taking WAEC and NECO already and have passed. There is no relationship between performance in JAMB and in the university. Passing JAMB examination does not guarantee admission into any tertiary institution
in Nigeria. It is therefore a waste of time and resources to subject Nigerian students who are qualified for tertiary education to a ridiculous examination that does not improve teaching or learning and cannot assure admission even when they perform above average.
The problem of tertiary education in Nigeria is not about testing students performance to qualify for admission but about lack of available space for admission. Therefore, an annual examination festival not trusted even by the universities is not a solution but rather a major problem. Let us stop the waste and spend our resources to solve problems.
Instead of wasting resources on JAMB examination, it may be better to donate or contribute such resources to the universities to increase their admission capacity so that students can be admitted based on their WAEC or NECO results which they were admitted in school for
three years to study before taking part in the examination. JAMB examination is an insult on WAEC and NECO and it is time to end the insult on our common sense.
Please, let us say NO to the sale of new JAMB examination forms at this time and appeal to the National Assembly to legalize the reform of JAMB now. If we are living in the age of education for all, we must admit all that are qualified and the qualification for tertiary education is a secondary school certificate
Dr. Raphael Ogar Oko
