Admission: Varsities warn parents against unnecessary pressure
Though this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is yet to be concluded, National Mirror can reliably say that some candidates, aided by their desperate parents, are already working on ways to make sure they are offered admission by different universities and other tertiary institutions of their choice.
Since May 3rd, when JAMB released the results of the 1,644,110 candidates who sat for the Paper Pencil Test (PPT) and the Dual Based Test (DBT) modes on Saturday, April 27, various candidates, especially those with low scores, have been reportedly seeking means of influencing the post-UTME examinations to be conducted soon by the various institutions.
Many of the candidates, who have been busy applying for change of their preferred institutions and courses of choice, to meet the two-week ultimatum set by the examination body, are also said to be doing so based on the instructions they received from their contacts.
It would be noted that this year’s UTME will be rounded off on Saturday, June 1, when about 90,000 candidates who applied for the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode,would have finished the spatial mode. Soon after, institutions are expected to conduct their post-UTME.
Ahead of these post-UTMEs various people and workers of some institutions are already reportedly making advances to unsuspecting candidates, guaranteeing them admission or placements in them while some even pledge to jerk up their UTME scores for them once the required charges are paid.
Similar situations had happened during the last examination held on April 27, when many candidates were found to have paid into accounts of swindlers who sent in suspected fake answers to them on the day of the examination through some websites created for the purpose by the fraudsters.
In its response to the allegations of malpractices during the examination JAMB had disclosed that the results of a total number of 68,309 candidates from various centres across the country were still undergoing further screening to find out their culpability .
Some of the universities contacted by National Mirror have not denied that some desperate parents do attempt to influence admission processes by hook or crook but they gave the stern warning to anyone including parents, guardians and even candidates already making efforts to corrupt the system to desist from such practices.
They claim they are now more vigilant and ready to prosecute any individual or agency found guilty of any allegation of fraud. In an interview with the Registrar, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Mr. Oluwarotimi Shodimu, he said the development is not strange to the institution considering the high figure of candidates applying to the university every year.
He said the university has a well-laid down structures and procedures for conducting its admission activities, which he said are handled by men and women of integrity “who would never attempt to soil their reputation.”
“There is really nothing new about this at all. We are used to it and this year cannot be different. In fact, we have in the past, investigated such cases of parents offering as much as N500,000 to secure admission for their wards.
That is what our country has steeply degenerated to. Corrupt parents make sure their children inherit their corrupt character and this is telling on the larger society because everywhere you go, you are stunned at the massive fraud going on,” Shodimu stated.
Talking about the integrity of the university’s entrance examination, the registrar said not even the vice-chancellor of the institution has knowledge of the questions to be set because “we have a pool for our questions which are securely guarded and can hardly be hacked into.” He added that, though nothing is impossible particularly in this age of technology, he said the university is very proactive and can address any emergency situation.
Similarly, the authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, have enjoined parents to stay away from the university saying all efforts are on deck to stave off undue influences.
According to the university’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju, the institution deploys computer to conduct its examination and releases the results less than 48 hours after.
“Within these 48 hours, the results pass through series of scrutiny.
So, where is the room for any syndicate to influence the results?” Also, the University of Ibadan spokesman, Mr. Olatunji Oladejo told National Mirror yesterday that the university knows how to block loopholes for malpractices in any of its examinations including post- UTMEs. He also added that students admitted by the university over the years were always consistent with their results upon which they were admitted throughout their studies period.
“Now the university’s standing committee in charge of admission is about sitting for this year’s admission process starting with the post-UTME,” he noted, adding; “And the university is looking towards admitting about 3000 candidates.”
In his own contribution, The Ekiti State University’s Deputy Registrar in charge of Information and Public Relations, Mr. Ajibade Olubunmi said the institution is not unaware of the development but insisted that the procedure its examination takes these days would definitely make it difficult for anyone to perpetrate fraud.
Olubunmi, who frowned at the desperation of those he described as unqualified candidates seeking university admission, blamed the country’s reward system for the development. He charged the policy makers to develop the nation’s vocational educational system that will adequately reward skill workers and allow them to reach the peak of their career like their counterparts in the universities.
Shodimu in his own submission, would expect Nigeria to step up its campaign against corruption and create employment for the teeming population of her youths whom he alleged deploy their idle hands to engage in corrupt practices.
MOJEED ALABI/NATIONAL MIRROR
