NANS kicks as JAMB re-assigns candidates to varsities

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB has announced the adoption of a policy whereby candidates of universities with surplus applicants for the Unified Matriculation Examinations (UTME) are reassigned to other universities with lower number of candidates than their capacities. 

The decision for the new policy was taking during its 2015 Combined Policy Meeting, held on July 14, in Abuja.

Following this development, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest Zone D has kicked against the new policy, alleging that it was fraudulent.

In a statement by the General Secretary, NANS Zone D, Obanobi Bidemi, the apex students’ body said: “The eligibility regulation of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has been brought to the notice of the NANS. It is lame and nonsensical.

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“Over 40 million Nigerian students at home and in diaspora want the JAMB registrar to define the word ‘choice of institution.’ Why would I be posted to a school I never applied for? We saw this trend coming from last year when the board reduced the options of institution of choice from six to three, claiming it is to save students from the fraudulent activities of tertiary institutions in the process of admitting students.

“We call on the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to begin a probe into the accounts of the admission board, its registrar and top echeleon, as it has been paid by proprietors of private tertiary institutions hence the bastardization of the admission exercise, a great semblance to the scandal that rocked the world football governing body, FIFA.

“Nigerian students pass a vote of no confidence in the JAMB registrar and hereby call for his immediate sack,” adding that “over 5 million students across the six states of the Southwest including affected students will be mobilized to the office of JAMB, if this policy is not reversed immediately.”

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Meanwhile, JAMB registrar, Professor Dibu Ojerinde, who explained the benefit of the new policy said: “The policy will help needy universities with lower number of candidates than their capacities have more candidates to admit.

“It will assist JAMB candidates have better chances for admission in the universities they are re-assigned to, contrary to situations where they would await admission in the universities of their first choices until the admission exercise closes. They usually end up forfeiting admission in that session.”

Consequently, the eligibility for Post-UTME screening in Nigerian universities has been determined by JAMB, as only candidates whose names were forwarded to each university by the apex exam body will be eligible for the post-UTME screening.

The board, however, urged candidates re-check on its website to know the universities they have been re-assigned to.

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