Ebun Olowu
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced a new date for the commencement of the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) screening for the 2020 admission processes.
It revealed that the screening would begin not earlier than September 7, 2020, in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the country.
The Registrar of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, announced the new date on Monday in Abuja after a consultative virtual meeting with vice-chancellors, rectors, and provosts of tertiary education institutions.
He explained that the shift in the date of the admission process from the earlier announced date of August 21 was to accommodate candidates who would be taking part in this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The Federal Government had announced that the examination, which is administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) annually, would commence on Monday next week.
“Presently as you are aware, WAEC starts the Senior School Certificate Examination on August 17, it will go on till September 7,” Professor Oloyede said.
He added, “On September 21 or thereabout, NABTEB will commence its examination that will go on till on the 15 of October, and immediately after that, NECO starts on the 5th and will hold till 18 of November.
“Rather than making candidates run, particularly, when they will have to write their school certificate exam in different towns and rush to university elsewhere for post-UTME, like somebody rushing from Sokoto to Ibadan for post-UTME, we believe as a custodian of the highest sector of the education system, we should avoid that.”
The JAMB’s registrar commended the various submissions made by the heads of tertiary institutions during the meeting.
He said institutions that conduct admission exercise without the administration of any-post UTME screening should also ensure candidates whose SSCE results would be released towards the end of the year were not denied participation in the process.
Professor Oloyede also revealed that the Board has withheld the results of candidates that sat for this year’s UTME at correctional service centres (prisons) over suspected infractions.
He said, “For those (institutions) who want to take post-UTME, that cannot be earlier than the 7th of September and it will be held twice – September 7 to October 4, and then it will be held for the second time on the 18 November to mop up those who are taking their school certificate examination.”
