Education
‘Scrapping Post-UME ’ll Negatively Impact on Standards’
The abolition of Post-Universities Matriculation Examination by the National Assembly will have a negative impact on the standard of education in Nigerian universities, an official has said.
Mr Gbenga Omilola, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ogun State, said this in Ijebu Ode on Tuesday in an interview with newsmen.
He said the abolition of the test would give undue advantage to unqualified candidates to gain admission into Nigerian universities.
He explained that since 2005, when the test was introduced, the standards in the university system had greatly improved.
The PRO said that the test had helped the universities’ management in screening out candidates who were not eligible for admission.
Omilola said : “But with the abolition of the test, candidates who used dubious means to gain admission would have their way.”
“I want to say categorical that the test should continue because it serves as a way of sanitising admissions into Nigerian universities.”
“The test was being conducted to allow candidates who claimed to have scored high marks in UME to proof it and to defend the result.”
“If a candidate could pass UME, I don’t see any reason why he or she should fail the post-UME test, which is of the same standard with the former.
“I want to appeal to the National Assembly to allow the test to continue because it would sanitise the universities,” he added.
Omilola, however, urged universities charging exorbitant fees for the conduct of the test to reduce it to the barest minimum.
The House of Representatives had on May 27, ordered the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to abolish the post-UME Examination into Nigerian universities.
A professor of Highway Engineering at the Rivers State University (RSU), Prof. Emmanuel Osilemme Ekwulo, has identified poor designs, inadequate materials, insufficient testing, and lack of accountability as major obstacles to the success of highway construction projects in the country.
Ekwulo made this remark in Port Harcourt last Wednesday during the 128th inaugural lecture series of the university, where he presented a lecture titled “Removing Roadblocks: Rebuilding a Foundation for Reliable Highway Pavement Infrastructure.”
The university don lamented the consistent premature failures of road construction projects nationwide, despite huge investments by the government at all levels, attributing the problem to neglected basics and systemic principles in the industry.
According to him, rebuilding the foundation technically, institutionally, and ethically is crucial to building strong and lasting pavements.
Ekwulo emphasized the need for political will, professional integrity, and commitment to engineering excellence to overcome the challenges.
“The metaphoric roadblocks are those challenges causing premature failures,” Ekwulo said, adding that identifying and addressing these roadblocks is key to rebuilding the nation’s highways.
He recommended that institutions involved in road design and construction adopt a mechanistic-empirical design approach, and develop a comprehensive framework for implementing the Nigerian Imperial and Mechanistic Pavement Design System (NEMPADS) approach.
Ekwulo also advocated for mandatory traffic load analysis, strengthened university-industry collaboration, and funding for applied pavement research.
Corruption, he noted, is a major challenge in the profession, saying severe punitive measures are needed to curb shabby practices leading to premature road failures.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described Ekwulo’s lecture as interesting and intriguing, highlighting the importance of implementing solutions to Nigeria’s highway challenges.
The Vice Chancellor also described Ekwulo’s proposals as practical and applicable to government and industry stakeholders.
He said the university is committed to research aligned with national development goals, referencing its NDV-12 responsive consortium production framework.
Zeb-Obipi noted that Ekwulo’s recommendations are timely and solution-driven, and will contribute to addressing Nigeria’s highway challenges.
Akujobi Amadi
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