The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said the law that established the board does not permit it to process admission for higher national diploma (HND) candidates.

Some HND students recently accused the board of being the unseen hands behind their inability to go for their National Youth Service scheme (NYSC).

JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, said the board has no involvement, authority, or control over the admissions process for HND candidate

The board added that candidates’ HND admissions are “unknown and irrelevant” to the mandate of JAMB.

“The law that established JAMB states, ‘For the avoidance of doubt, the board shall be responsible for determining matriculation requirements and conducting examinations leading to undergraduate admissions, as well as for admissions to National Diploma and Nigerian Certificate in Education courses,” Benjamin said.

“However, the Board shall not be responsible for examinations or any other selective processes for postgraduate courses or any other courses offered by tertiary institutions.”

The aggrieved students claimed they were not mobilised for service because they did a part-time programme for their national diploma (ND).

JAMB earlier gave a 30-day ultimatum to institutions in August to declare all admissions conducted outside its processing system.