The National Universities Commission (NUC) says it is making consultations to resolve the clash in the timetable of NECO and post-UTME examinations currently taking place.
The Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie, made this known in Abuja on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Okojie said that the commission had received complaints from many quarters that the dates fixed by some universities for their post-UTME examinations were clashing with NECO examinations.
“I understand that some of these students might miss some of their papers and that is why we are holding wide consultations with all the parties to ensure harmonisation''.
He said that the commission would ensure that there was balance to make sure that students were not seriously affected and that the structure of universities was not also shaken.
A top official of the commission, who spoke?on condition of anonymity,?however, told NAN that both students and the universities were to blame for the clash in dates.
“What the universities are saying is that students should wait for one year doing nothing at home until they get results of examinations before going to school; I do not think that is fair.
“On the other hand, students, who should be sitting for post-UTME examinations are supposed to be students who have already sat for and passed their O' levels.
“After all, if you look at JAMB forms, I do not think there is a column for `Awaiting Examinations', but rather it is `Awaiting Results' (AR), which means only those awaiting results are expected to sit for JAMB,'' the official said..
He said “it is expected that such results would have been released by the time the student gains admission into the university and subsequently invited for post-UTME''.
The official urged universities to consider shifting their examinations for the sake of the students who “might as well be their children whom they will not want to spend a whole year at home doing nothing''.
The NUC, according to the source, might not be able to do much as it could? not dictate to the universities how to run their internal affairs.
“It is indeed a dicey situation and at the end of the day, students are the ones at the receiving end because NECO too is handicapped, having fixed its examination dates months earlier and postponing a national examination is not feasible''.
Commenting on the rejection of some candidates who chose some universities as second choice,?Okojie said that such institutions might be overwhelmed by the applications from first choice candidates, adding that this could be the reason for such rejections.
He said that it did not mean that students who made some universities their second choice were not always considered. (NAN)