The Minister for Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i has clarified that the Federal Government is yet to approve the scrapping of the National Examination Council (NECO) and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
She said the recommendations by the White Paper drafting committee is currently being discussed at the Presidency and that the White Paper recommendations are yet to be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting for consideration and not to mention its approval by the government.
She said, “If there is something on the table, I don’t want people to rush and pass jugdement. There is a white paper on the table that is being discussed. Government has not taken decision on it. It has not even been presented to the Federal Executive Council. Mr. President alone cannot decide on what to do. So it is too early to comment.
“Decision has not been communicated to the Federal Ministry of Education to handle the issue of either scrapping or not scrapping of NECO and UTME. I believe, it is not in the state that we can say scrap or no scrap.
“It is a white paper that is being discussed by the Presidency and I believe it is going to be presented to the Federal Executive council. I think it is too early to talk about scrapping or no scrapping. Let’s give government time. At the appropriate time, we can discuss that.”
It was gathered that President Goodluck Jonathan was locked in a meeting with the Education Minister, Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor Julius Okojie, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth and Student Affairs, representatives of JAMB, NECO, among other at the Presidential Villa on Monday over the issue.
The meeting which lasted for several hours according to sources could not arrive at a specific position as regard the White Paper recommendation yet.