UTME: JAMB Partners Army to Provide Security for 1.3m Candidates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has partnered the Nigerian Army to secure the Computer Based Tests (CBT) centres with a view to having a hitch-free 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The spokesperson of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, in a statement yesterday, said the Registrar/Chief Executive of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq O. Oloyede, at a meeting with the military high command in Abuja solicited for the intervention and cooperation of the Nigerian Army in the forthcoming examination.

While commending the Nigerian Army for uniting the country particularly the feat it recorded in the insurgency war and restoring peace in other turbulent areas, Oloyede outlined his mission to Defence Headquarters.

“We are here to thank you for the wonderful job you have been doing; all Nigerians are happy with you for the wonderful feat you have recorded in the discharge of your duties, and your quest for an indivisible and united country,” he said.

He pointed out that the mandate of JAMB was to conduct matriculation examination and place suitably qualified candidates desirous of qualitative education in all Nigerian tertiary institutions, adding that the board was at the verge of the first process hence the need to secure the venues, candidates and examination officials.

“This need became imperative to seek for security intervention from the army, particularly in turbulent areas,” he said.

The Registrar noted that over 678 centres across the country against the last year’s figure of 650 CBT centres would be put to use with an estimated 1.5million candidates for the examination.

He added that 1.237million candidates have already submitted their applications already.

Oloyede also told the Chief of Army Staff that there was a collaboration with Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) to airlift candidates in riverine areas to their CBT centres.

The federal government yesterday said it would impose import restrictions to protect Nigeria from becoming a dumping ground for goods and products from other countries.

It, also, said it had started putting in place concerted efforts aimed at checking negative trade practices and protecting the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, revealed the plans after meeting the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and some members of the State Executive Council (SEC) at the State House, Alausa yesterday.

At a session with journalists, the minister described Lagos State as a true model of the vision of improving on the ease of doing business and turning Nigeria into one of the easiest and most attractive places for investors in the world.

He said Lagos, as Nigeria’s commercial capital, “stands in a vantage position to drive the goal of government to improve World Bank ranking of Nigeria on the ease of doing business.

“We have been talking about creating enabling environment for investments and ease of doing business. These are the two areas where we have convergence with Lagos State Government.

“We have been discussing how to collaborate very strongly to make Lagos State a true role model in line with our vision of making Nigeria one of the easiest and most attractive places to do business.

“There is no better place to start than Lagos State, particularly when you have a governor who is committed to it and as he puts it to us, it is like preaching to the converted,” he said.

He noted that the two governments had agreed on modalities on working together “to achieve the targets that we have set for ourselves both in ease of doing business