From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has commended the Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board(JAMB) for providing candidates with disabilities the opportunity to participate in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The Governor hailed the Board’s Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, for coming up with the Jamb Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) an inclusive education platform, that has been affording physically challenged candidates access to tertiary institutions to pursue their careers.
Speaking at the Ekiti State University( EKSU) Ado- Ekiti, centre for the special candidates participating in this year’s UTME conducted by JOEG, the Governor.represented by his
Special Adviser on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Mrs Adetoun Agboola, expressed the state government’s readiness to continue to support the education of People With Disabilities(PwDs) in the state.
The Special Adviser revealed government efforts in the promotion of the education of People With Disabilities (PWDs) saying that the State University is now in the process of establishing the department of special education.
She added that the initiative will provide access and opportunity for higher education for graduates of the Special Schools in their catchment areas.
” The current administration of Biodun Oyebanji is happy with what JAMB is doing and his government will continue to support our special students just like we have been doing in the past and I can assure you that no one irrespective of their conditions will be left behind when it comes to education.”
In his address, the Vice-Chancellor of EKSU, Prof. Joseph Ayodele, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor ( Academics) Prof. Wole Adebayo, thanked the federal government and JAMB for the equal opportunity extended to the disadvantaged candidates through JEOG and congratulated them for making themselves available by grabbing the opportunity offered by JAMB.
” This programme gives us the impetus that there is ability in disability, that if we give equal opportunity to everybody on education and this group of people also, the candidates with disabilities they have a centre in Ekiti State University and they are participating in the 2025 UTME exam.
” I am impressed with the turn out and as you can see EKSU has the capacity to accommodate persons with disabilities.
and our university is equipped with facilities for students with disabilities.”
The Coordinator of JEOG in Ekiti State, Prof. Rashid Aderinoye, said, ” We have eleven centres for this programme. And this is Ekiti centre, one of the eleven centres.
” This year, we are examining 501 candidates with disabilities in the eleven centres in the country. The centres are, Ekiti, Abuja, Enugu, Benin, Oyo, Lagos, Bauchi, Kebbi, Kano, Jos and Yola.
“All the 501 candidates across the eleven centres are writing the exam today April 28 and tomorrow, 29.
“JAMB has been holding this exam for the past eight years because the inclusive education aspect came on board when Prof. Is-haq Oloyede assumed office as Registrar and he thought that everybody must be carried along, that is why he made sure that both the able and disable are involved.
“I also express appreciations to Emeritus Prof. Peter Okebukola for his passion and commitment to improving the educational needs of PwDs.
The essence is to ensure that children that are disabled either in form of blindness, ear impairment, and other areas that we have to take care of them. Even people who are amputated who cannot write people will have to sit by him or her to write for them.
“I equally appreciate the Ekiti State government for its continuous support by ensuring a friendly environment for the commencement of the exam.
The environment is conducive for the 32 candidates in which 30 are available so far. They have provided us with relevant logistics like security, accommodation, health facilities and others.”
A legal practitioner and Head, Directorate of Legal Matters, Ekiti State University, Mr Gboyega Afolabi, who is also a visually impaired person, appreciated JAMB for providing the platform “because it is giving the candidates a good opportunity for them to bring out the best that is in them.
” The exam is a special opportunity for the blind persons and others with disabilities so that they will write in a conducive environment. It will avail them the opportunity to choose a career for themselves and be the best.”
Speaking with some of the candidates, they thanked the federal government and JEOG for the opportunity to participate in the exam which they said will afford them the opportunity to pursue their careers.