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| Senator Uche Ekwunife (left) and Senator Ifeanyi Uba. |
... Canvas for extension of registration deadlined
The Senate has asked the Federal Ministry of Education, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, and the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, to suspend using NIN as a prerequisite for UTME registration.
The Senate, urged JAMB to extend the UTME registration deadline and suspends the requirements until there is a well-organised process for obtaining NIN.
In view of this, the Senate has urged the Federal Government to review the implementation of its policy making National Identity Number, NIN, a prerequisite for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.
Earlier, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, had insisted that the National Identity Number, NIN, should be mandatory for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.
The Senate also urged the Federal Ministry of Education and NIMC to introduce a simple and decentralised NIN registration process where students will be able to obtain NIN in accredited school premises.
Resolutions of the Senate were sequel to a point of order raised by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (YPP, Anambra South).
The motion was titled “The need to address the untold hardship caused by the introduction of NIN as compulsory requirement for JAMB registration.”
Raising Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Standing Rules, Ubah, while noting the untold hardship the policy had generated for students, said the action “is inconsiderate and a premature decision.”
He said: “For JAMB to include NIN as a pre-condition for registration of UTME candidates in 2021 is inconsiderate.
“This action is an inconsiderate and premature decision that has further complicated the already rigorous process of both registering for JAMB examination and procuring the NIN.
“JAMB initially attempted to start implementation of this policy in 2020 but had to postpone it, owing to technical problems and irregularities bedeviling the process of obtaining NIN from NIMC.
“From all indications, these technical hitches are yet to be addressed; the long queues at NIMC centres are a testimony to the fact that a well-organised process is yet to be put in place to ease the stressful process of registration. The board (JAMB) already has enough logistical and technical problems to tackle.”
Ubah further said that adding more complications is counterproductive and will serve as a hindrance to young Nigerians’ desires to get into higher institutions to further their education.
Don’t make NIN an exams condition — Ekwunife
In her contribution, Senator Uche Ekwunife, PDP-Anambra Central, who stated that it was a very straightforward motion and apt, said: “The time has come for us to show concern for what is happening on students presenting NIN before they are registered for JAMB.
“Mr President, remember that the whole of last year was taken over by COVID-19 and that restricted a lot of movement and it made it impossible for many students to have access to NIN.
“Telling our students now that they cannot register for WAEC and GCE because they do not have NIN is actually very insensitive on the part of JAMB and NECO.
“Mr President, I want to state very clearly that the awareness on NIN has not been felt. There is no public enlightenment, many people don’t even understand what NIN stands for.
“The awareness has not been taken to the grassroots; the enlightenment has not been taken to schools; it has not been taken to universities and tertiary institutions.
“Therefore, many students don’t even know the need for them to have the NIN, they don’t even know that NIN is a requirement for them to participate in NECO and GCE. Schools should not make NIN a requirement for participation in any examination.”
Credit: Vanguard
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