The expression on the face of 22-year-old Mike Ugbodu on Monday conveyed a feeling of disillusionment. He looked every inch worried. All of a sudden, his chubby face seemed to have shrunken with anxiety. Ugbodu, otherwise known for his lively nature, looked quite lonely. In fact, he was not in a mood to talk.
Of course, it is not surprising that the
young man looked this desolate and disturbed. Having scored high grades
in the last Universities Matriculation Examination, he looked forward
to writing the post-UTME at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria last
August, to enable him to secure admission to study Micro Biology in the
university.
However, five months after the UME and
now a few weeks to the date fixed by the Joint Admissions and
Matriculation Board to end the admission process for 2013/2014 session,
nothing has happened. Indeed, this young man’s dream has not come to
fruition following the industrial action embarked upon by members of the
Academic Staff of the Universities. The strike is frustrating his
effort to write the post-UTME in ABU.
“When will this rigmarole end? When will
ASUU and the Federal Government resolve their differences?” were all
that he managed to say to our correspondent.
But the situation, is not peculiar to the Edo State-born potential microbiologist.
Kabiawu Wasilat is in a similar
situation with Ugbodu. Wasilat, who wants to study Mass Communications
at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, is equally
not happy with the situation in the nation’s university system. Her hope
of securing admission to the OOU has been threatened following the ASUU
strike. According to her, the July initial date fixed for the
examination did not work and till now the authorities of the university
have not fixed a new date.
The story of Ugbodu and Wasilat is a tip
of the iceberg in comparison to the anxious thoughts on the minds of
many Nigerian students seeking admission to the nation’s universities in
the 2013/2014 academic session. Many admission seekers, who applied to
study in institutions such as the Federal University of Agriculture,
Abeokuta, Ogun State; University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State; and Ahmadu
Bello University, Zaria are practically stranded as the institutions
have still not conducted the post-UTME.
The concern is coming on the heels of a
directive last week by JAMB that all universities must conclude their
post-Universities Matriculation examination by October 31, 2013. The
fact that the “academic hub” of the system, the teaching community, is
on strike further compounded the situation.
University lecturers embarked on
nationwide strike on July 2 to protest against the non-implementation of
the 2009 agreement they reached with the Federal Government. They are
also seeking the payment of their unpaid allowances.
While the FG has released N130bn to meet
some of the demands of the striking teachers, the ASUU President, Dr.
Nassir Fagge, likens the money to a drop in an ocean of requests.
A professor of Education, Ademola
Onifade, assessing the development, says the JAMB directive may cause
more confusion in the education sector.
Onifade, who teaches at the Lagos State
University, Ojo notes, “Why is JAMB giving this directive now that ASUU
members are on strike? It is obvious that with the ongoing industrial
action, there is no way we shall round off the current academic year on
time. So, why are we in a hurry to bring in the new students? It is just
to add to the confusion.
“JAMB needs to allow the universities to
resume first. For sure, there will be no fresh admission until we are
through with the current academic calendar. Therefore, the directive is
just to add anxiety and confusion as well as to put pressure on the
university authorities.”
The Vice President, the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, Alhaja Munikat Idris, also shares Onifade’s belief.
She notes that though the other non-teaching staff could help in the admission process, there is need to follow due process.
She adds, “I think that the admission
process should not be done in a haphazard manner. I would rather advise
the FG to appeal to the university teachers to return to classes.
According to an education consultant,
Mrs. Ify Anatune-Nwobosi, the responsibility of setting and conducting
examinations in the university lies with the teaching staff.
She warns that now that members of ASUU
are on strike, the situation may result in an admission crisis in the
affected institutions.
She says, “The responsibility of
organising and conducting examinations is in the hands of the teaching
staff. I, therefore, urge the FG to intervene in the crisis to bring
normalcy to the sector. Let us not involve the fresh students in this
face-off and further jeopardise their future.”
Source: PUNCH Newspaper
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