JAMB: Registrar worried over discriminatory cut off marks in Nigerian higher institutions

Professor Dibu Ojerinde, the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has shown worries over the discriminatory cut-off marks, of 180 for universities and 150 for polytechnics  adopted,  each year in favour of the polytechnics and colleges of education.
Ojerinde made this awareness on Tuesday, in Abuja, while briefing the Minister of Education, MalamAdamu Adamu and the Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Anwukah, on the activities of the board.
Ojerinde noted that the discriminatory cut-off marks, usually approved annually by the stakeholders, at the Combined Policy Committee meeting, has defeated the aim of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME).
Ojerinde was among the chief executives of some parastatals in the ministry that briefed the minister, on Tuesday, on their mandates, organisations’ structure, achievements and challenges.
The Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie, and the Executive Secretaryof the Tertiary Education trust fund (TETFUND), Professor Suleiman Bogoro, also took turns to talk to the ministers and the Permanent Secretary, Dr Folasade Yemi- Esan.
Ojerinde said that the board has continued to improve on its services, thereby easing the conduct of the UTME and quick release of result of the conducted examination which is now completely computerised.
According to what he said, about 600 centres have been identified for the 2016 exercise, including special centres for the physically-challenged and candidates in the diaspora.
Earlier before, the Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor Okojie had a short talk with the ministers about the commission from its formation to the present day, saying that the commission has grown from strength to strength over the years.
According to him, the trust of the commissions activities is to improve access and quality of university education in Nigeria, stressing that it has continued to maintain high standard on the issue of accreditation of our country’s universities and their courses.
Till date,the number of accredited universities, he stated, stands at 141, comprising: 40 federal, 40 state and 61 private universities, adding that Nigerian universities are now having a very high rank among international community system.
The Executive Secretaryof TETFUND, Professor Bogoro, said that the fund has become a good brand for many African countries, taking into account that five countries had now established similar fund modeled after the Nigerian experience.
Professor Bogoro rephrased the strategic importance of the fund, which he noted, has also been widely acknowledged as being the messiah of the education system, especially since the time it was dedicated to the service of tertiary institutions alone.
He also said that special attention was being accorded capacity building for staff in the various institutions, and exhibited photographs of infrastructure developed by the agency.
The meeting focused on acquainting the Ministers about the operations of the parastatals,just as the Minister promised to carefully study the briefing documents submitted by the agencies.