JAMB Announces 2019 Form Sales, Climbs Down On Matric Fee By Reducing Profit Margin
The Oasis Reporters
November 30, 2018
Hard to say if it was the election fever concession or sudden pang of conscience, but Nigerians agree that it is a good move that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the reduction of examination registration fees for the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) UTME exams and the Senior Secondary and Basic Education Certificate by NECO.
Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu stated this at the end of the FEC meeting which was presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
He said the JAMB fee for the UTME has been reduced from N5,000 to N3,500, the Senior Secondary School fee charge by NECO will be reduced from N11,350 to N9,850 and the Basic Education certificate by NECO has been reduced from N5,500 to N4,000.
According to him, the new charges would become effective from January, 2019 noting that most of the past high examination fees were unnecessary, he said that they were siphoned into private pockets.
He declared that the agency is not a revenue generating agency and its focus should not be to generate money.
“In response to the yearnings by parents, the President (Muhammadu Buhari) directed the ministry to look into it,” the Minister said.
JAMB confirmed the reduction saying it reduced its UTME registration fees because it wanted to alleviate the burden of the cost of the examination on parents.
JAMB’s Head of Media, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, in a statement in Abuja said the reduction has been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“In Mr. President’s determination to alleviate poverty and ensure that every Nigerian desirous of tertiary education is not deprived, government had introduced policies and incentive to boost the economy of ordinary Nigerians and has seen this reduction as a platform to bring more Nigerians on the tertiary education template.
“The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board had in less than two years shown commitment to the avowed direction of the President Buhari-led administration by returning over 15 billion.
“Government had deliberated extensively on how to ensure that every Nigerian benefited from the prudent management of resources in JAMB and came up with the fee reduction,” the statement read.
In the same breath, The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Thursday announced that registration for 2019/ 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will commence in December.
The Head of Media of the Board, Dr Fabian Benjamin, announced this while addressing newsmen during the conduct of promotion exercise for the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), at the board’s Computer Based Test (CBT) Centre in Abuja,NAN reports.
According to Benjamin, no specific date has been fixed for the commencement of the registration yet.
He, however, said that plans were underway to do so as soon as possible as the board was initially waiting for the pronouncement of the presidency on the reduction of the examinations fee, which was formally announced on Wednesday
Benjamin said it was commendable what the President had done as he was someone, who had always had the interest of the masses at heart and would prove to ensure that no Nigerian was deprived of tertiary education.
” The president has overtime, expressed concern that the charges were high.
” Our consistent remittance has proven that something could actually be done and even if charges are reduced, examinations can still be conducted with no service suffering any issue of funding.
” The president has taken this bold step, we will see what happens after this reduction and if need be for further reduction, Mr President will do so in no distant time because he has concerns for the ordinary Nigerian on the streets. ”
Meanwhile Nigerians on the social media have been expressing their views on the issue, from Senator Shehu Sani to Aisha Yesufu:
So cost of JAMB form has been reduced! The same people who insulted me for saying JAMB was over charging are now celebrating. I pray for more of such celebrations. I will continue the criticism, you keep the accolades!
The real winners are the ordinary Nigerians who don't have! https://t.co/Ny01AtuQNI— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) November 29, 2018
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