Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman
●●● Minister Bows To Pressure
Stakeholders at the ongoing 2024 Joint Admissions Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) policy meeting on education holding in Abuja have protested the new minimum admission age pegged at 18 years.
Shortly after the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, made the announcement on Thursday, the stakeholders who turned out in their members from across tertiary institutions in the country, voiced a resistance which turned the session into a rowdy one.
The minister, who was unable to proceed with his address as a result of the uproar, had asked “Are we together?”
However, the stakeholders had responded with a resounding “No!”
The minister who seemed unperturbed with the development, had continued with his address as he tried to give reasons for pegging the new admission benchmark at 18.
Event however rook a new turn when the granted requests by heads of tertiary institutions to allow candidates who are 16 years of age to gain admission into tertiary institutions of their choice.
The minister was forced to succumb, following the argument that students under the age of 18 had already registered, sat, and passed the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and awaiting admission.
Reiterating the minister’s decision amidst resounding applause, Oloyede added: “We thank the minister for conceding but from next year we will enforce it.”
