- Parents seek minister’s intervention
By Gabriel Dike
As the 2017/2018 admission exercise begins, heads of tertiary institutions have defied the Federal Government by charging above the approved N2,000 fee for the Post-UTME.
Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu while re-introducing the Post-UTME at the 2017 Combined Admission Committee meeting in Abuja, pegged the fee for the test at N2,000.
Investigations by Sunday Sun revealed that the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education are collecting above the approved N2,000 from candidates.
Some parents are kicking against the development and calling on the education minister to stop the exploitation of candidates. Also, most of the institutions, which took part in the admission committee meeting have pegged their cut-off marks above the 120 for universities and 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education.
Most of the universities and polytechnics that started the 2017/2018 admission exercise have pegged their cut off marks at 180, 190 and 200, thus over one million candidates who scored below 170 would not be considered for placement.
Lagos State University (LASU) demanded N5,000 from candidates who scored 180 and 190 for the screening which started last week. Olabisi Onabajo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, which was the first institution to conduct the Post-UTME test, charged N7,000 from over 20,000 candidates that took part in the test.
Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) in a statement said it operates a dual cut off mark system for its agricultural programmes for 180 while courses such as Engineering, Sciences and Veterinary Medicine are pegged at 200. Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) fixed cut off mark at 180 and candidates are to pay N2,000 excluding bank charges.
Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMINNA) screening exercise commenced on August 31, the Senate of the institution came up with four different cut off marks for various courses such as 230 for Agriculture, 200 for Engineering, 190 for Telecommunication Engineering and 180 for other programmes and candidates are to pay N2, 250 (N250 for service charge). University of Benin, fixed cut off mark at 200 and candidates paid N2,000 (excluding other charges such as past questions) and N1, 500 service charges.
Rivers State University of Science and Technology charged candidates N4, 500 and fixed cut off mark at 180 and above for the various courses.
Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU) is the only university that fixed its cut off mark at 120 for candidates who picked the institution as first and second choice and who are expected to pay N5,000 for test and screening of certificates as well as checking of admission status.
Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze put its cut off mark at 100 and above and N2,000 for the UTME test.
Federal Polytechnic Nekede, fixed its cut off mark at 180 and above while candidates who picked the institution paid N2,000 for the Post-UTME test.
Two concerned parents, Mr. Sotade Ogunsola and Mrs. Elizabeth Eze, called on the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu to monitor what the institutions are demanding that candidates pay as Post-UTME test fees.
The National Coordinator of Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Hassan Taiwo, condemned the reintroduction of the Post-UTME and explained that some of the institutions will take the advantage to charge candidates above the approved fee.