JAMB lacks power to set guidelines for varsity admission – ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has lashed out at the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for acting beyond its powers by releasing admission guidelines for Nigerian Universities.

The Union stated that it is the mandate of the Senate of Nigerian universities through the autonomy to regulate admission modalities and determine what best suits the vision of each institution.

ASUU Chairman, University of Ibadan, Dr. Deji Omole stated this while reacting to the 2016 admission guidelines recently released by JAMB.

He noted that both the Minister and JAMB Registrar seemed confused and inconsistent by first going against collection of administrative charges under Post-UTME by universities, but now preaching payment of screening fees in “its illegal guidelines which is designed to favour the children of the rich against the poor.”

JAMB Registrar, Professor Dibu Ojerinde and Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, according to Omole, seemed unaware about happenings in Nigeria universities, saying that the newly released point – based scoring system is not new as it was innovated and used at the University of Ibadan for five years and abandoned, adding that University of Ibadan has moved beyond such model of admitting students.

The ASUU boss added that the question of admission is not about the introduction of screening charges, noting that the Union will resist any attempt to trample upon university autonomy and the supremacy of the Senate of universities to regulate its admission.

While alleging that the ‘illegal guidelines’ will shortchange the children of the poor who cannot ‘purchase’ awarded scores from JAMB as against the children of the high and mighty, Omole further faulted the jettisoning of double sittings (at WAEC) and awaiting results candidates who he said will be shortchanged if the muddled-up illegal guideline is allowed.

“JAMB is acting beyond its mandate which is to conduct and release results. The Senate of universities have the right to determine the model or guideline to adopt to admit their students from the pool of candidates sent to it by JAMB. Each university has standards which are not subjected to the whims and caprices of any government appointee.

“JAMB does not have the powers to tell universities how to conduct their screening. It is a way to cover up their inadequacies because JAMB credibility as an examination body is yearly being queried. JAMB and its handlers are confused. Last year they arbitrarily placed students in private universities to satisfy the needs of their cronies. These were mainly children of the poor who had not chosen those institutions.

“In the just concluded JAMB examinations, they awarded candidates with extra 40 marks without any justification. Now those with two sittings results will be shortchanged and those awaiting results will be disadvantaged. There will be rise in result racketeering at WAEC again as people will be purchasing grade ‘A’ since that is what will guarantee admission.

“More miracle examination centers will spring up and JAMB and the Minister would have succeeded in entrenching corruption and further kill university education in Nigeria. ASUU stands by university autonomy. JAMB cannot determine admission guidelines for universities rather JAMB must be overhauled to make their results believable and trusted.”