Unilorin holds hitch-free post-UTME screening

Excellent security arrangements and orderly conduct by candidates hallmarked the Post-UTME screening for the 2015/2016 admission exercise into the University of Ilorin.

Over 62,000 candidates participated in the mainly Computer-Based Test (CBT) exercise that took place between last Monday (August 17, 2015) and this Monday (August 24, 2015) in Lagos and Ilorin. 

Personnel of the Security Unit of the University worked hand-in-hand with men of the Nigerian Police and a detachment of the Department of State Security (DSS) in a seamless arrangement, described by many as unprecedented in the annals of the institution.

Members of staff of the University had to endure the traffic snarl occasioned by the massive vehicular movement into the campus, especially in the morning hours.

The Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the University, Mr. I. M.  Tijani, told Unilorin Bulletin that nothing less than the best security arrangement was expected of all the units of an elite University like the University of Ilorin, adding that “as such, the Security Unit deployed its men and materials to ensure that the candidates writing the post-UTME tests are made as comfortable as possible”

Mr. Tijani disclosed that some regular policemen were deployed to the University on special assignment from the Kwara State Police Command Headquarters with the mandate to prevent intruders into the University. He said that criminal elements might want to take advantage of the massive movement of people into the campus, stating however that throughout the duration of the post-UTME screening, no breach of security was recorded.

The CSO said that seven people were arrested for impersonation last Thursday (August 20, 2015) and another two last Friday (August 21, 2015) at the venue of the post-UTME screening.

Mr. Tijani, who was with a Deputy Chief Security Officer, Mr, J, Ikubani, said that the seven people arrested on Thursday had already been handed over to the State Security Services for further investigation while the two arrested on Friday were still undergoing investigation as at press-time.

He disclosed that among those apprehended was a male who impersonated a female and the two of them gained access to the University premises with different identities.  

Also speaking with Unilorin Bulletin, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. (Mrs.) N. Y. S. Ijaiya, debunked media reports that some candidates were turned back from the venue of the screening exercise over dress code violation. She said that “none of the candidates dressed indecently, as they were already aware of our dress code, which they must have read from the handbook we gave them and also from the post-UTME instruction uploaded on the University website”.

According to Prof. (Mrs.) Ijaiya, even some of the candidates who wore short skirts were only counselled that such mode of dressing was not compliant with the University's dress code. “None of them was turned back”, she said.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, however, pointed out that the few candidates that were turned back were those who came to the CBT Centre without the print-outs of their examination schedule, a situation that made proper identification impossible. She said, “And even at that, we didn't send them out of the campus, we directed them to where they could get the schedule printed out nearby. So, those who could still bring their print-outs were still allowed into the examination halls”.

Dr. R.A. Bello, who was also part of the screening team at the entrance to the examination hall, explained that there were about three stages of screening and arrangements were made such that candidates have some time to rest under the newly constructed sheds before they would walk into the examination hall.

In his remarks, the Sub-Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. A. Yusuf, described the candidates as “raw materials who are coming into the University to be groomed for a better future”. He noted that the security arrangement this year was unprecedented and perfect and few cases of  impersonation were recorded.

Dr. Yusuf added that the Centre for Supportive Services for the Deaf (CSSD) provided succour to challenged candidates such that they have unhindered access to the examination venues.

Meanwhile, the Director of the Computer Services and Information Technology Directorate (COMSIT), Prof. Musa Isiaku Ahmed told Unilorin Bulletin that results of all candidates of the post-UTME test in both Ilorin and Lagos centres were uploaded by 6.00p.m. same day the tests were written.

Prof. Ahmed said, “Out of the over 107, 000 candidates that made the University of Ilorin their first choice, 73,250 made the 180 cut-off mark in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME)”, adding that out of these, over 62,000 eventually registered for and participated in the post-UTME screening.

According to him, this is by far more than what most of the first generation universities have. For instance, about 33, 000 candidates participated in the post-UTME screening of the University of Ibadan while the University of Lagos and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife had about 32,000 each.

Asked to compare the University of Ilorin’s Computer-Based Test (CBT) with that conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), the COMSIT Director said that there was no point of comparison because, according to him, “there are over 2,000 multiple choice questions for a day exams.

He said, “What we administered for our candidates today is different from what we will administer tomorrow. Even today, we have several paper types. But in JAMB, it is the same. For us, you may be sitting in the same row but you are writing entirely different papers. So, whether there is interaction or not, it makes no difference”.

Prof. Ahmed commended the management of the University of Ilorin for making things work well for the COMSIT Directorate. “We can't thank the management enough”, he said, pointing out that “recently, we got an approval for the installation of a dedicated transformer at our Network Operation Centre (NOC) and also a brand new generator for the Centre in preparation to convert it from a server room to a data centre”.

“We are really grateful to the management. This work would not have been easy without their support,” he submitted.