The House of Representatives has passed for the second reading a bill to amend the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to increase the validity period of its results.
The bill sponsored by Tolulope Shadipe (APC, Oyo) seeks to amend sections 5(1a) and 5(2) of the principal act.
“The general control of the conduct of matriculation examinations and admissions to courses leading to the award of first degrees, higher national diploma, national diploma and Nigeria Certificate in Education by universities (by whatever name called), monotechnic/polytechnic (by whatever name called) in Nigeria shall be valid for four years,” the bill reads.
If the bill is passed, JAMB results will be valid for four years as against the current one-year period of validity.
Leading the debate, Ms Shadipe said the current law is exploitative with students forced to pay money annually despite passing the examination.
She stated in other countries, similar examinations have a validity period of four years and above.
“Everywhere in the world, there’s no such examination that is valid for one year. Here in Nigeria, if don’t get in, you repeat JAMB again. It’s unfair. There are a lot of Nigerians whose parents are struggling to put their children through school,” she said.
He added that the bill should be allowed to go to the committee.
Speaking against the bill, Uzoma Abonta (PDP, Abia) said it would create more crises. He argued that the sponsor of the bill failed to convince him of the mischief the bill seeks to cure.
Speaking in support of the bill, the presiding officer, Deputy Speaker Idris Wase, said the bill seeks to address the economic burden on parents.
The bill was passed for the second reading when Mr Wase put it to vote.
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