Four commercial banks offer varsity scholarships to top 100 UTME candidates

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Four leading commercial banks in the country have offered free scholarships to first 100 candidates that wrote this year’s unified tertiary matriculation examinations.

The banks are offering the top 100 UTME candidates scholarships to study in tertiary institutions of their choice across the country.

The list of the 100 candidates that came top of the UTME would be forwarded to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board this week for action, The Nation learnt.

The Head of Information of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, confirmed the offer to our reporter in Abuja on Monday, adding that some candidates would have the opportunity of their names appearing on the lists of the four banks because of their UTME scores.

However, Benjamin failed to give the names of the banks, saying the commercial banks have asked that their identities be kept secret.

He said the scholarship offers were a demonstration of the acceptability and confidence in the board’s products.

Dr. Benjamin said: “About four banks have indicated interest to sponsor top 100 candidates. Two banks have requested for top ten and two for top hundred candidates.

“We will submit the names of the candidates to the banks this week.”

He explained that the conduct of the 2019 UTME had witnessed a dramatic turn of events with many startling discoveries and the capacity of the board to navigate such emerging threats.

“As a result of the handling of the crises and performances, many corporate organisations have called on the board to furnish it with top scoring candidates to offer scholarships to study in tertiary institutions of their choice.

“There are banks which are demanding the top 100 UTME candidates for scholarships. This is a stamp on the approval of the board’s products and efforts at repositioning the conduct of public examinations in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Unilag sets date for 2019 Post UTME screening

“The fight against examination corruption should therefore be fought on all fronts. This is because of the board’s belief that the first manifestation of corruption is cheating in an examination,” he said.

Benjamin urged corporate organisations seeking for UTME candidates to sponsor to vary their stipulated conditions for scholarships.

“Otherwise the same 10 top candidates would benefit from multiple offers, thus depriving other equally qualified candidates the fruits of sponsorship,” he said.

He added: “In this regard, a proviso that the board should provide top scorers who must not have benefitted from any scholarship programme will address the challenge and spread the benefits to other deserving candidates.

“These organisations, including the candidates, are to, however, note that scoring high in the UTME alone is not a guarantee for admission as other factors such as the Ordinary Level results and the post-UTME will have to be incorporated for a holistic cut-off score.”

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4,795 more girls beat boys in 2019 WASSCE

FacebookTwitterPi– WAEC does not charge extra for certificates

A total of 4,795 more girls did better than boys in the 2019 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates released Friday by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

This is despite more boys (822,098) sat for the examination than girls (768,075).

Head of National Office (HNO), Olu Adenipekun, said at a press briefing to announce the results Friday at the Council’s Yaba Headquarters that a total of 64.12 per cent (1,020,519) of the 1,590,173 candidates that wrote the 2019 WASSCE made credits in five subjects, including English and Mathematics. While 50.23 per cent of this 1,020,519 were girls, 49.77 per cent were boys.

Adenipekun, said: “One million and twenty thousand five hundred and nineteen (1,020,519) candidates representing 64.18 per cent obtained credits and above in minimum of five subjects including English Language and Mathematics.

“of this number, 507,862 i.e. 49.77 percent were male candidates, and 512,657 I.e. 50.23 per cent were female candidates.”

He added that the performance this year was better than last year’s, which was 50 per cent.

Regarding examination malpractice, the HNO said 11.33 per cent (180,205) candidates have their results being withheld pending investigations into their involvement in fraud during the Examination.

Read Also; HOW TO CHECK WAEC RESULTS

Responding to a question about school owners charging candidates before releasing their certificates, Adenipekun said the Council does not charge extra for WASSCE certificates outside the examination fees paid during registration. He said schools that charge extra for certificates did so for their own pockets.

He said: “As far as WAEC is concerned, the certificate as well as the certificate cover being produced to help candidates preserve their certificates, we do not charge any extra money. Everything has been paid for when candidates made payment for the Examination before registration. So if there is any school charging candidates any other thing outside the Examination fee, then that is most unfortunate and it is not money meant for WAEC. If it is not meant for WAEC, then WAEC cannot be held responsible for it. I restate again to the nation, WAEC does not charge any separate fee for other things except the examination fee paid by candidates during registration.

Many corrupt Nigerian leaders started with exam fraud — JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has said it is determined to sanitise the examination sub-sector in Nigeria, noting that many corrupt leaders started with examination malpractices.

JAMB stated this in its weekly bulletin obtained by our correspondent on Sunday.

The board said, “Corruption is not a peculiar African or Nigerian problem. Regrettably, most of the measures deployed to fight corruption, more often than not, fail to yield desired results. If the malaise of corruption is not holistically addressed at the stage of examination malpractice, which is most times sponsored by parents, it will grow to become a monster.“Many corrupt leaders today might have started off on this path through experimenting with examination malpractices. It is a fallacy to think that such individuals would outgrow such acts. This set of individuals mature to something more destructive and demeaning in the long run. The polluting effects of corruption warrant the adoption of a holistic approach in fighting corruption right from the school level.

“JAMB is leading the onslaught against perpetrators of examination infractions. It is the responsibility of citizens and other government agencies to sign up for this critical national assignment. Unfortunately, national challenges are sometimes perceived by Nigerians as the exclusive headache of the agency.”

NYSC to corps members: Avoid lobbying for relocation

National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has warned corps members to avoid lobbying to be relocated out of the states they were deployed to for their one year national service. Director, Corps Mobilization, NYSC Directorate Headquarters Abuja, Mrs. Nnenna Ukonu gave the advice Thursday in Umunya camp, Anambra state, while addressing corps members currently undergoing their 3-weeks orientation course. She described lobbying for relocation as risky venture which many had regretted later in life. “Avoid lobbying to be relocated out of the state. It may end up in someone lobbying out his or luck or destiny,” she said. 

 READ ALSO: NYSC DG warns corps members against misconduct

 The Director urged the NYSC members to rather settle down and imbibe the entrepreneurial spirit of the people of the state. “I challenged you to seize the opportunity being offered by the NYSC skills acquisition to upgrade yourself towards self-reliance at the end of your service year,” she said. While cautioning against incessant and unauthorized journeys, Ukonu urged the corps members to avail themselves of the various information technologies to reach out to their parents and loved ones. Earlier, State Coordinator, Mr. Kehinde Aremu, while thanking the Director for the visit, informed her that a total number of 2220 corps members, comprising 1080 males and 1140 females were on camp. He described their conduct as satisfactory.