For fear of being victimized, I’ll choose to be anonymous.
When I heard about the scraping of post UTME, I did not know whether to be happy or sad. Truth be told, we young people are tired of the rigours of having to write two very tough examinations just to gain admission into higher institutions of our choice. Although this is my second JAMB, somehow I have this feeling that if not for this bottleneck that was placed in our education system in the year 2005, yours truly would have been an undergraduate by now. Examination, they say is not a true test of knowledge, but the worst nightmare is to organize a shoddy exam. I have written series of examination, right from my primary school days to the time I wrote WASSCE and emerged as the best graduating student, one thing I’ve come to find out is that people don’t pass exam by chance. However, what happened to me in this year’s JAMB is what I am yet to comprehend.
Last year, I applied for Law at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. When I wrote JAMB and had a score of 270, I sat down and took a closer look at the individual score I made in different subjects; I smiled because the result was a reflection of my ability. From my very tight schedule, I had to make out time to start preparing for the post UTME. Remember that it was the same year I wrote WASSCE and NECO. Honestly, I lost a lot of weight, and when Post UTME result came out, I made 250. My average for both JAMB and PUTME last year was 260. Guess what, that score was not enough to give me Law because UNN had 287 as their cut-off mark. For those of you that wrote JAMB last year, recall that JAMB came up with this idea of redistribution. That is, moving students according to their score to other schools that have less applicants. I was very happy when I heard about the idea. Of course I was happy because I knew that with my 270 JAMB score, I would have a shot at UNN, my dream school. My happiness was short-lived because JAMB later did not implement that policy. I guess that’s what they are trying to enforce this year by getting the Minister of Education, tell us, on the 2nd of this month that Post UTME has been (or should be) scraped. In my opinion, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde is in bed with Mallam Adamu Adamu. They have both orchestrated this wonderful plan. Truth be told, this is a good plan but the timing is very wrong.
Let me take you down memory lane. This year’s JAMB received a lot of criticism. Students complained that the exercise was badly organized. Some aggrieved students even took to the street to vent their anger. Unfortunately, Prof. Ojerinde who, I thought should know better came out and claimed that the demonstration that was carried out by students was orchestrated by aggrieved CBT centres that had their contract cancelled. Prof., you and I know that was a fat lie. By blaming CBT centres and lesson centres instead of accepting the ineptitude of your system and the laxity of your workers, you lost the respect I used to have for you. Prof. let me ask you a question; do you think we are fools? Yes, I know that an average Nigerian youth does not read but the truth remains that we are not fools. I may not have gotten admission into the university but I know whom I am! I am an intelligent Nigerian youth who works hard every day. God knows that I’m better than my counterparts in most part of the world, and I’m not a fool. Having tasted success in my secondary school days, I know what it is like to be a winner. Unfortunately, JAMB decided to make me look like a fool when, on March 10, I wrote JAMB at a centre in Anambra State only to come home two days after and have JAMB send to me a text message that states that I scored 232. How is that possible? I thought. After being depressed for some days, I went online to look at the details of my result. I shouted when I saw that I was given 49 in English. This is not my result, I told mum who was with me in the room.
Well, when after a month I accepted the result that was sent to me by JAMB, I vowed to do my best, in terms of preparation to make sure that I prove my worth in post UTME when the time comes. Because I’m a go-getter, I had since got a Post UTME Past Question Paper and have been marrying my textbooks ever since. So, for Mallam Adamu Adamu to wake up one morning and tell us that he has scraped Post UTME is just unacceptable, especially at this point. In my opinion, I’ll rather they scrap JAMB and allow schools conduct examination for prospective students. JAMB as a body is messing up. They should take a cue from WAEC. Remember that Post UTME was introduced to clean up the mess up by JAMB. If the Federal Government wants JAMB to assume her constitutional role, they should first of all return her to her previous glory.
I gave up a JAMB score of 270 and a post UTME score of 250 because I believed that I’ll do better this year. My friend had advised me to buy a supplementary form and shop into English and Literary Studies last year but I told him that I’d make the merit list for Law this year. I had studied very hard for JAMB but they almost killed my zeal by sending me another person’s result. Just when it seemed I’ve gotten over it, Adamu Adamu now wants to put sand in my garri. God will judge you all! One calendar year of staying at home has taught me a lot of lessons, but trust me, unlike last year, I can settle for another course in UNN but God will punish anyone who reassigns me to any other school that is not University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Apart from the issue of proximity, I’m obsessed about the school.
Finally, Mallam Adamu Adamu, if really you want to scrap Post UTME, I suggest that this year’s JAMB be remarked by a neutral body and the results obtained be checked with what JAMB sent to candidates. I also suggest you call Prof. Ojerinde to come and explain why 40 marks were added to some candidates and were later removed from that of some people. JAMB had a lot of issues and I put it to you that scraping Post UTME shouldn’t be an option until JAMB is brought to a standard.
PLS SHARE UNTIL IT GETS TO MALLAM ADAMU ADAMU
