ABUJA – Senate has scrapped the Post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME), otherwise known as Post-JAMB, as the upper chamber passed Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) (Amendment) Act 2016 after third reading

The Senate also extended to three years the validity period of the results of JAMB examination, following the inclusion of the new Section 6 (1) in the original Act, which is further supported by Section 6 (2) and Section 6(3) of the bill.

“A candidate meeting the requirement for admission and being duly qualified shall remain so qualified for the period prescribed in sub-section  (1) of this section. It states: ‘A candidate awaiting admission shall be given preference in the succeeding year over fresh applicants who shall only become eligible when backlog has been cleared”, the Bill said.

Recall that the Federal Ministry of Education and Higher Institutions in the country had been at conflict over the desirability or otherwise of the Post JAMB, but the passage of the Bill on JAMB Amendment Act has laid this to rest.

According to this amendment, Section 5(b) of the new Bill places the responsibility of conducting admission tests into higher institutions only on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

 

The Bill said “The matriculation examinations conducted by the Board shall be the sole examinations required for admission and entry into all universities, polytechnics (by whatever name called) and colleges of education (by whatever name called) to the exclusion of any institution or body”.

 

The bill also provided that the placement of suitably qualified candidates in tertiary institutions in accordance with existing vacancies, guidelines approved by authorities of such institutions and preferences expressed by candidates shall be the exclusive preserve of JAMB.

It added that the collection and dissemination of information on all matters in relation to admissions into tertiary institutions and related matters are the duties of JAMB.

The passage of the bill followed the adoption of the report of the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND presented by its chairman, Senator Jibrin Barau (APC Kano North).