Renowned technologist and Chief Executive Officer of Prime-Cline Holdings Limited, Asaba, Delta State, Dr Clifford Jaja has called on the Federal Government to sanction any tertiary institution that charges more than N2,000 for Post –UTME.
Jaja made the call in an interview with The Tide at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, shortly on arrival from a Technological Submit in Pretoria, South-Africa.
According to the expert, “at the 2017 policy meeting, I suggested that any institution which was interested in conducting any form of post-UTME screening could do so, but that the gross charge for the screening should not be more that N2,000”.
As he put it, “policy meetings would continue to be the forum where the agenda, guidelines, modalities and timelines would be set for the purpose of admission to universities, polytechnics, monotechnices and colleges of education in Nigeria.
He explained that no admission in tertiary institutions should be announced before the policy meeting.
He noted that it is appreciated that the meeting should be held early enough for the commencement of the new academic session.
He said, “The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board should ensure that the policy meeting is now held not later than June every year”.
He said that outside UTME scores, that there were other assessments for consideration before a candidate could gain admission into universities.
Jaja said the marks were just minimum scores, adding that the number of candidates that were involved in examination malpractices in UTME had reduced drastically.
On the dissolution of NABTEB, Dr Jaja called on the Presidency to formally dissolve the board, saying that President Muhammadu Buhari should approve the dissolution of the government of Board of National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB).
He said that the President should also direct the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu to take drastic measures to reposition and re-direct NABTEB for greater efficiency and to render its performance more responsive to the expectations of the present leadership.
He further stated that the purported suspension to the Registrar, Prof Ifeoma Abanihe and four other directors of NABTEB had been nullified as it did not conform with due process, especially on the issue of the registrar.
Jaja maintained that the board went against its powers by contravening Section 5 and Section 6 of NABTEB Act.
It was gathered by The Tide that a special investigative panel was constituted to probe activities of the Registrar of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), Prof-Ifeoma Isuigo-Abanihe and others.
The panel, we learnt allegedly uncovered irregularities in contract awards and abuse of office by the embattled registrar.
According to the report, the registrar and four directors were suspended by the 9th Governing Board of NABTEB at its first regular board meeting held on June 19, 2018 at NABTEB headquarters, Benin City, Edo State, following allegations of N49.7 million fraud.

Bethel Toby