The House of Representatives directed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to rescind its decision not to conduct University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Kano, Borno and others states in the north as a result of Boko Haram attacks.
The lawmakers contended that JAMB may have ulterior motives which informed the decision which has the tendency of denying the people of the affected states access to western education.
Last week, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board announced its decision to suspend the conduct of its examinations in states where there are security challenges.
Rep. Aminu Suleiman Fagge (PDP, Kano) who raised the motion under a matter of urgent national importance said the House was saddened that a body saddled with the responsibility of creating a pathway for national development through giving Nigerians access to tertiary education could take such unfortunate and unilateral decision.
“Crises are usually spontaneous and for a government agency to say wherever there are cases of social upheavals that the people of the area must pay for actions which they had no control of is in my view selfish and wrong. There is an ulterior motive to ensure that people of those areas are denied the benefit of western education,” he said.
Supporting the motion Rep. Adams Jagaba (PDP, Kaduna) described the board’s decision as shortsighted and misplaced. He opined that since the educational institutions in such areas were still in session without fears of attack, it was unthinkable that JAMB would cancel its examination in the affected areas.
“JAMBs decision to suspend the conduct of examinations in those areas is driven by an ulterior motive. You may recall that we have had successful bye-elections in those areas,” Jagaba said.
