FG has okayed N2,500 post-UTME screening fee —Vice Chancellors

THE Federal Government has yielded to pressure by the authorities of the various tertiary institutions and has allowed them to charge N2,500 for screening of their candidates.

The screening, according to reliable information obtained by the Nigerian Tribune, is for the candidates offered admissions to any of the tertiary institutions by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), after sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Professor Michael Faborode, confirmed on Wednesday in Abuja that N2,500 for screening of students after admissions were offered by JAMB was agreed upon at a meeting with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders in the tertiary education sub-sector.

He said the agreement was reached after a deliberation of officials of the ministry, federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

Faborode said it was agreed that the screening by the institutions must not be another Computer Based Test or formal examination as being done by JAMB.

“From the statement made by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, at the meeting, there is no objection to screening by universities as long as it is not another CBT.

“She agreed that universities should advertise and the maximum fee that should be charged for the screening should be N2,500 – bank charges inclusive,” he said.

Faborode, however, said the committee would formally convey its stance to the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Ben Bem Goong, when contacted, said he was not aware of the development, insisting that government had not changed its position on the scrapping of post-UTME.

In a statement he issued penutimate week, Goong confirmed that the minister reiterated the ban on post-UTME conducted by tertiary institutions.