Education
PH Residents Carpet JAMB Over Cut-Off Point
Some Port Harcourt residents in Rivers State have condemned the recent 120 cut-off point announced by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to be a minimum cut-off point for 2017/2018 tertiary admission consideration for universities across the country.
The Port Harcourt residents are of the opinion that such development would reduce the standard of education as it would not encourage serious reading among prospective students.
Speaking with The Tide in an interview, Mr Greg Ofuadimma described the decision taken by JAMB as unhealthy for the nation’s education system, noting that the 120 bench mark is capable of lowering the standard of university education in the country.
According to him, the cut-off mark will subject the universities to an undue pressure in terms of admission, adding that universities will be battling with high influx of students for admission.
He urged the body to have a rethink on the decision and come out with a better position that would help to add value to the standard of Nigerian universities and the education system at large.
“We are yet to be briefed on the reasons while JAMB has to slash the cut-off point of university admission to that level. Until then, I think that they have to critically review their decision once again”, he stated.
Also speaking, a female student of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, Anambra State University, Miss Laurel Felix said the position taken by JAMB for 2017/2018 university admission cut-off point of 120 if allowed would send wrong signal to the international community on the standard of education in the country.
She urged JAMB to revert to the cut-off point of 180 it was and described the decision as a national embarrassment.
In his own view, Mr Chinwendu Iwubi, a school teacher in the state said the recent decision taken by JAMB on university admission for 2017/2018 would discourage students seeking admission into universities from embarking on intensive reading and preparation.
Mr Iwubi was of the opinion that rather than slashing it to 120, JAMB would have retained the existing 180 cut-off.
Akujobi Amadi & Amarachi Anene
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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