Scrapping Of Post-UTME Is A Terrible Mistake – Afe Babalola

Elder statesman and lawyer, Aare Afe
Babalola (SAN) has described the scrapping
of the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation
Examination (post-UTME, otherwise called
post-JAMB) by the Federal Government as
a “calamitous mistake.”
The founder of Afe Babalola University,
Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), said he was “more than
shocked by the announcement” from the
Minster of Education, Mallam Adamu
Adamu, that post-UTME as part of the
qualifying procedure for admission into
Nigerian universities, has now been
cancelled.
On governance, he called for a return to
regionalism and parliamentary system of
government, saying for Nigeria to come out
of its myriads of socio-political and
economic problems, it needs a
restructuring that would make the regions
stronger and control their resources.
Babalola, who was in the vanguard of
those who canvassed for the qualifying
examinations as the Pro-Chancellor of the
University of Lagos, said: “This, to me, is
nothing but a most calamitous mistake,
which poses danger and an irreversible
adverse effect on the quality of education
in this country.”
He said he was particularly surprised and
worried that such a far-reaching decision
could be taken without due and adequate
consideration for how the concept of the
post- UTME came into being.
“It is rather unfortunate that human
memory is very short. In 2003, it was
discovered by university administrators
in this country that many of the students
admitted into Nigerian universities
through JAMB were not only
academically deficient, they could also
not justify the high marks scored in JAMB
examinations.
“Cases abound whereby JAMB
examination papers were being openly
compromised and sold to students at
examination centers, while some
examination centers, mischievously
dubbed miracle centres, were openly, but
unofficially designed to guarantee high
marks for some candidates.
“The most pathetic aspect of this perfidy
is that we later found out that most of
these students with such high marks were
unable to cope academically upon their
being admitted to the universities.”
He added:-
“It was at this point of this national
embarrassment that the Committee of
Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities,
under my chairmanship, met in Abuja, x-
rayed the cankerworm and
recommended to former President
Olusegun Obasanjo that JAMB should be
scrapped, because the integrity of its
examinations has been called to question.
“I must stress at this point that the
introduction of post-UTME was not
decided by the Committee of Pro-
Chancellors of Nigerian Universities
alone; the matter was thrown open, with
contributions from stakeholders and
interested and concerned members of the
different strata of society.
“However, government in its wisdom,
decided to adopt a middle-way approach
to the matter by saying that JAMB should
continue to be and conduct its business
of qualifying examinations to tertiary
institutions in Nigeria, while post-UTME
should be introduced.
“This translates to the fact that JAMB will
be used as the basis for admission into
Nigerian universities, but the universities
are free to conduct screening exercises,
which include administering questions in
relevant courses, for their would-be
students.”
According to him: “The post-UTME had
proved to be a veritable quality control
measure, which I believed had been
working and working well.
“For example, the first post-UTME we
conducted at the University of Lagos,
where I was then the Pro-Chancellor and
Chairman of Council, yielded positive
dividends.
“There was this student with a very
impressive result, who applied to study
Law. Since English Literature was and
still central to the admission of students
to study Law, he was asked if he knew a
novel called Things Fall Apart and he
answered in the affirmative. We then
asked him if he knew the author.
“The hall was filled with consternation
when the young man named the late Gen.
Sanni Abacha as the author of Things Fall
Apart.
“With the above scenario, it became
crystal clear that Nigerian universities
were no places candidates should come
to with compromised and procured
results.
“Post UTME is a shield that expose
students who passess Jamb by Magic..
This development will sure boost the
number of Unemployment in Nigeria”.