Pro-chancellors of Nigerian Universities Support Post Ume

Post-UTME tests: Pro-Chancellors back varsities

THE Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of state-owned universities, Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte, has said the pro-chancellors of Nigerian Universities are in support of the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations’ (UTME) tests.
He said the Post-UTME tests being conducted by tertiary institutions were to determine the suitability of the candidates for admissions, after writing the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) examinations, whose reliability could not be guaranteed.
Karibi-Whyte, who is a retired Justice of the Supreme Court (JSC), spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He called on the Senators, who were making moves to stop the post-UTME tests, to rescind the decision. 
All the candidates seeking admissions into universities, polytechnics, colleges of technology and colleges of education, write the same examinations. But each institution later tests candidates to determine their suitability and confirm their UTME scores.
Karibi-Whyte, who is also the Pro-Chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Port Harcourt, said post-UTME test was the best option.
He said: “Besides the fact that writing the JAMB-run UTME alone to determine suitability for university education has proven unrealistic, as it has resulted in production of half-baked graduates, the ultimate authority to admit any candidate into a university rests with the institution’s Senate.
“The ultimate authority to determine suitability for admitting students into the university is vested in the Senate of each of the universities.
“There is very little correlation between success at the JAMB’s examinations and suitability for university education. 
“The post-UTME tests have completely disclosed that there is still a need for the universities to test those who have been certified suitable by JAMB. There are so many examples of those who scored high marks in JAMB’s examinations, but were unable to cope with the university education.”
The eminent jurist also called on universities’ staff unions to bring patriotism and other noble considerations into bear, when in conflict with university authorities and government.

culled from http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/25053-post-utme-tests-pro-chancellors-back-varsities.html