Economic Confidential, January 10, 2009

FEATURES

JAMB, WAEC, NECO et al Scratch Cards: Whose benefit?

By Kabir Danladi

Nothing is more disturbing or is it disgusting [?] in Nigeria than one to take upon himself the responsibility of speaking for the oppressed. Yourself a victim, but since you are more privileged than the rest , you took it upon yourself to serve as a middle man between the government and the governed. You do this with a strong conviction that one day, this country - our great country, will be great and indeed a country where our leaders will be incorruptible, credible and honest, the countrymen organised, orderly, who respect one another and live peacefully.

Sometimes in July I wrote a letter to this forum discussing the issue of Post-UME, not only the way student are squeezed, extorted and exploited by universities, through the payment of money to sit for the exams, but the dangers these aspiring university undergraduates fall into during this exercise, especially the ladies. I sighted an example of how most of these innocent girls were “raped” by undesirable elements within the university community because most of them came from far places and know nobody in these places. I was specifically referring to ABU Zaria, where somebody confessed to me that they lured a girl by offering her accommodation and they raped her that night. I also gave an example of a celebrated case of rape which involves a 200 level Pharmacy student also in Samaru. However, to my dismay nothing was done either by the National Assembly or the NUC to stop post UME or at least take measures to protect these children.

I believe we will not stop talking, until and after those responsible for making life difficult for us in this country do something about our plight. But this time before you ignore this discussion, I want you to reflect on what will happen to your 18 year old child as she left home for a Post-UME not only in Zaria, Kano or Maiduguri, Lagos, Ilorin, Ibadan, Nsukka, but to the other second choice university she chooses, because she is not sure of getting admission into her  first choice university. Most of us tend to ignore many things and pay little attention to such things, since we think we are rich enough to sponsor our children, thus, to hell with the attendant consequences. Therefore, nobody care or pay attention to the issue of Post-UME and the dangers involved.

Although this is not the topic of this discussion. I felt it is important to bring to fore so that I tie it with another systematic extortion by the leading examination bodies in Nigeria ; JAMB, WAEC, NECO. These three bodies, due to advancement in technology have adopted the use of scratch cards for registration of students to write exams. The issue of scratch cards is something which few people paid attention to. How on earth can we allow some few individuals, to continue exploiting us year in year out just because we want our children to go to university? Have we ever pause to ask ourselves who is benefiting from the millions paid by our children to obtain a scratch card every year either to sit for a single examination or just to get their results? This issue of purchasing scratch card to access JAMB, WAEC, and NECO results is illegitimate and improper. Once a candidate pays the examinations fees, he is entitled to write the examination and the examination body to mark and grade the candidate and finally issue him his statement of results.

But today what we are seeing is extortion and exploitation in high degree, where students are made to pay high registration fees and later they will be left in the hands of internet operators to surf for their registration centres, numbers and results. This is unfair and total disregard for people’s right. Nigerians should start questioning the legality of this. Many children are denied writing these examinations because of their failure to pay for the scratch cards. In some instances where internet facility is not available, the school authorities charge students extra money to delegate somebody to go and check their results.

I want to urge the National Assembly, the Federal Ministry of Finance and Education, State Houses of Assembly, State Ministries of Education, the PTA and ANCOPS to, as a matter of urgency do something about this madness. This money, students are paying for scratch card is used by few individual who connive with the education body to squeeze, extort and exploit unsuspecting parents. They pay this money because they don’t know, but somebody needs to do something. If scratch cards are to be used, let it be free, but in this current situation, parents are paying extra money which does not go into government account or the account of the examinations bodies. It goes directly to some few individual pockets.

Kabiru Danladi

Gombe