Date: 2016-09-16

Universities are adhering to federal government directives on the cancellation of post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The government had directed universities to stop post-UTME but allowed them to physically verify potential students and their credentials. The screening exercise for prospective candidates at the University of Jos which lasted between September 5th and 14th was peacefully held.

One of the applicants, Caroline Igye from Makurdi, told our correspondent that she attended the exercise without any hindrances. Igye said all the candidates had earlier paid a compulsory fee of N2, 500 online or in the bank before proceeding to the university for screening.

She added, "We didn't write any exam, there was no oral interview but they went through our credentials and compared our credentials with what we filled online."

The University of Jos Principal Assistant Registrar, Information and Publication, Abdullahi Abdullahi, told our correspondent that the institution had strictly followed the guideline set by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and that the prospective students had paid N2, 500 straight into the government's bank account.

The ?University of Ilorin also conducted the 2016/2017 screening exercise as directed and charged N2, 500 per candidate.

Kwara State University had already conducted post-UTME for their candidates before the government's directive. Each candidate paid the sum N5, 000. The two private universities in the state, Alhikmah and Landmark have not been doing post-UTME even before the government's directives.

The Vice chancellor of Kaduna State University (KASU), Professor Williams Barnabas Qurix, said that the institution would conduct verification of credentials and certificates free of charge. "Kaduna State government does not allow us to charge any fee," he said.