The Vice Chancellor of Anchor University, Prof. Samuel Bandele, has emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of public examinations and cautioned against any actions that may undermine it. He highlighted the severe consequences such compromises can have on society as a whole.
In addition to addressing this issue, Prof. Bandele also announced a full scholarship award to Miss Umeh, Kamsiyochukwu Nkechinyere, who achieved the highest score in this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
During a press briefing, Prof. Bandele, an expert in Educational Evaluation and Computer Education, expressed his regret regarding the recent controversy surrounding the top scorer of the 2023 UTME, referring to it as an unfortunate mix-up.
Previously, a debate ensued over the highest mark when Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme initially claimed a score of 362, while JAMB stated she scored 249. Eventually, she acknowledged her actual score of 249. Meanwhile, Miss Nkechinyere emerged as the highest scorer with a score of 360.
In his address, Prof. Bandele also praised Deeper Life High School for producing high-scoring students in the UTME and acknowledged the commendable work of Prof. Isaq Oloyede, the JAMB Registrar.
He stated, “We aim to attract students from our secondary school arm to our university because we want to continue training them holistically. We prioritize their moral and academic development. As a faith-based institution, we recognize the importance of moral soundness, instilling good values, and enabling our students to compete favorably on a global scale.”
Prof. Bandele extended an invitation to Miss Nkechinyere, offering her the opportunity to study any course of her choice at Anchor University on a full scholarship. Furthermore, the university will provide tuition-free awards to the top 10 highest scorers from Deeper Life High School nationwide, as well as considerable fee discounts for the next 50 highest scorers among them. Notably, over 130 students from Deeper Life High School scored 300 marks and above across the country.
The Vice Chancellor also mentioned the university’s plans to introduce new programs, including a collaboration with Dominican University in the Dominican Republic to offer a medicine program, and the establishment of a law program, among others. Despite being a young institution, merely eight years old, Anchor University has demonstrated remarkable growth and aims to maintain this positive momentum.
Prof. Bandele further explained that while the fees at the institution are reasonable, running a university is an expensive endeavor. He emphasized that Anchor University’s primary focus is not profit but rather making a positive impact on society by providing quality and affordable education.
Regarding the benchmark set by JAMB for admission into higher institutions, the Vice Chancellor clarified that it serves as a guideline for schools.
