Lawmaker doles out 50 UTME forms to indigent applicants

• charges the examining body to lessen student’s registration stress

By Lanre Adesanya

Hon. Rasheed Makinde a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly has advised the management of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to ensure a simplified registration process so as not to discourage students.

Makinde, representing Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency II at the Lagos State House of Assembly made the plea while presenting free UTME forms to 50 students in the constituency on Friday. He stressed that there is a need to remove the bottle necks students’ face while registering for the examination to allow them ample time for study.

The Town Planner turned legislator noted that although, there has been a number of improvements in the processes of registering and conduct of UTME, he urge the management of JAMB to make the process less difficult for applicants so as not to discourage the vulnerable.

“This year UTME registration process is difficult, not only the monetary aspect but the registration process perse. During my electioneering campaign, one of the cardinal contents of my manifestos was to target the youths as one of the beneficiaries of my empowerment packages.

“This is the second phase, we also had it in 2016 and the essence is to help the weak and the less privileged to progress so that at the end of the day, they can be able to stand on their own. Today, we are giving students UTME forms having registered it for them, knowing that the obstacles and other financial constraints would impede many who might want to sit for the exam.

“This is our widow’s mite to the youths amongst our constituents, I urge you to devote your time to study hard, read the question paper before attempting it .Know that you are not the only student in Ojokoro, once you meet the average cut off point and your choice of institution is LASU, LASPOTECH or any other colleges of education in Lagos and even UNILAG, I will do all I can to facilitate your admission”. Makinde said.

According to him, the gesture is borne out of his passion for qualitative education and youth development. I am seeing great men and women of tomorrowhere who will soon be making waves all over the world. It is my own way of contributing to the society and development of education.”

Also speaking, Chief Adewale Bello, the Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) in the council, said: “the best investment anybody can make is to educate the children to secure a future for them. We appreciates this gesture by our lawmaker, we want more of this. We need people like this in the corridor of power. It is nice, I am happy, he is doing well.”

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One of the beneficiaries, Master Kayode Alagbe, who commended the lawmaker for the gesture, described the process of 2017 UTME registration as strenuous and difficult. Alagbe a-15-year-old student, also a beneficiary of the gesture noted that the lawmaker made the registration stress free for them, adding that other candidates spent days doing the registration.

Another beneficiary, Master Fawaz Kareem also lauded the lawmaker for not only paying for the examination but also saved them the registration stress.

Miss Rashidat Odebode who was filled with commendation, lauded the lawmaker not only for the purchase of the forms but for easing the burdens they would have encountered in the registration ,she added that some applicants spent four or five days in the registration process, said the process did not take more 30 minutes for them courtesy of Makinde.

Stakeholders in the polity of Ojokoro council area who grace the occasion includes two aspirants for the chairmanship seat in the council, Mr. Dapo Okeyomi (Carry Go),Prince Ademola Adunola(Dansaky),APC Chieftain in Ojokoro Mrs. Fatimoh Balogun, many traditional rulers, religious leaders, party leaders and faithful.