The expression on the face of 22-year-old Mike
Ugbodu on Monday conveyed a feeling of
disillusionment. He looked every inch worried. All
of a sudden, his chubby face seemed to have
shrunken with anxiety. Ugbodu, otherwise known
for his lively nature, looked quite lonely. In fact,
he was not in a mood to talk.
Of course, it is not surprising that the young man looked
this desolate and disturbed. Having scored high grades
in the last Universities Matriculation Examination, he
looked forward to writing the post-UTME at the Ahmadu
Bello University, Zaria last August, to enable him to
secure admission to study Micro Biology in the university.
However, five months after the UME and now a few
weeks to the date fixed by the Joint Admissions and
Matriculation Board to end the admission process for
2013/2014 session, nothing has happened. Indeed, this
young man’s dream has not come to fruition following the
industrial action embarked upon by members of the
Academic Staff of the Universities. The strike is
frustrating his effort to write the post-UTME in ABU.
“When will this rigmarole end? When will ASUU and the
Federal Government resolve their differences?” were all
that he managed to say to newsmen.
But the situation, is not peculiar to the Edo State-born
potential microbiologist.
Kabiawu Wasilat is in a similar situation with Ugbodu.
Wasilat, who wants to study Mass Communications at the
Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, is
equally not happy with the situation in the nation’s
university system. Her hope of securing admission to the
OOU has been threatened following the ASUU strike.
According to her, the July initial date fixed for the
examination did not work and till now the authorities of
the university have not fixed a new date.
The story of Ugbodu and Wasilat is a tip of the iceberg in
comparison to the anxious thoughts on the minds of many
Nigerian students seeking admission to the nation’s
universities in the 2013/2014 academic session. Many
admission seekers, who applied to study in institutions
such as the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta,
Ogun State; University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State; and
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria are practically stranded
as the institutions have still not conducted the post-
UTME.
The concern is coming on the heels of a directive last
week by JAMB that all universities must conclude their
post-Universities Matriculation examination by October
31, 2013. The fact that the “academic hub” of the
system, the teaching community, is on strike further
compounded the situation.
University lecturers embarked on nationwide strike on
July 2 to protest against the non-implementation of the
2009 agreement they reached with the Federal
Government. They are also seeking the payment of their
unpaid allowances.
While the FG has released N130bn to meet some of the
demands of the striking teachers, the ASUU President,
Dr. Nassir Fagge, likens the money to a drop in an ocean
of requests.
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