As controversyrages amongstakeholders in the education sector over the conduct of post-UTME by the nation's universities, the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa'i, has said that the examination would continue for now.Speaking with journalists at Ilorin airport after commissioning some projects executed by authorities of the University of Ilorin on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan at the weekend, the minister said the mission of the ministry was to ensure that quality cuts across the entire education sector.'At this time of Nigeria's history, we are particularly interested in quality. Quality is what everybody is emphasizing now. We know that we are emphasising another aspect too, because we have to ensure equity. But definitely, our mission is to ensure quality cuts across the entire sector. So, that is why we are saying that post-UTME, at least for now, is something that we should continue. And we are pleading with the senators,' she said.The minister also said that there would soon be a stakeholders forum on the issue, adding that the outcome would determine the future of post-UTME.'But I feel that the issue of ensuring quality is one thing we should be interested in. JAMB is also our product. It is our baby and part of us. We are proud of what JAMB is doing. If universities are going to admit 3,000 students, 5,000 would have applied and through JAMB, we may have about 800 or so. So, you can have fewer people coming but each of the universities also has embedded in their own Act to now have a say in who they actually admit. So, it is very technical. I am sure the senators are also looking into this,' the minister said.Meanwhile,A member of theHouse of Representatives, Mr Bamidele Faparusi, has said the House will not hesitate to sanction any university found to have extorted money from candidates in the post-Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (post-UTME).Faparusi, who represents Ise-Orun/Emure/Gboyin federal constituency, while speaking at Ode-Ekiti, in Gboyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State, at the weekend, stressed that universities in the country must adhere to the rules and regulations spelt out by the National Universities Commission (NUC), guiding the conduct of the admission regulatory examinations.Faparusi, who spoke while distributing educational materials to 25,000 pupils of all the public primary schools in the constituency, noted that as commendable as post-UTME examinations was, it had been marred by various forms of irregularities which, he said, must be corrected to enjoy the support and confidence of every Nigerian.
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