Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has accused the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) of admission racketeering.
The examination body, which welcomed the decision of the Senate to probe alleged admission racketeering in universities, maintained that it would be vindicated.
The Senate had, last week, agreed to investigate allegation of admission racketeering in the nation’s universities, following a motion moved by Senator Onyeka Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North).
Nwebonyi, who cited admission travails of one Chinyere Ekwe at UNN, alleged that university staff conspired with JAMB officials to carry out unwholesome practices, prompting the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to call for a fair hearing, saying JAMB was known to be a reputable institution.
Reacting to the development during this year’s Customer Service Week of JAMB, in Abuja, the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, commended the Senate for giving opportunity to the exam body to defend itself over the issue.
Oloyede clarified that the affected candidate sat for the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), where she scored 291.
He said the girl, who applied to study Medicine and Surgery at UNN, was in 241 position in the ranking of applicants for the medical programme in the university after all her other academic performances, including post-UTME score, were calculated by the institution.
“Seeing the reality of the ranking, this lady did not apply to change her course, but the university decided she change her to Medical Laboratory. A proposal was made to her and she accepted the Medical Laboratory in writing, and the institution then recommended her for admission into Medical Laboratory. We knew that she could not have been taken for Medicine because that year the university admitted more than the approved number.”
While saying that the university admitted above its given departmental quota in Medical Laboratory and was told to reduce the number, Oloyede said it was discovered that many other applicants, who were admitted ‘under the table’ (illegally) scored above her.
“Till today, the lady has no approval letter from JAMB neither for Medicine nor Medical Laboratory. And if she is doing Medical Laboratory, she is doing it in an arrangement between her and the institution,” Oloyede said.
He, however, said the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) of JAMB detected issue with the admission, having ranked in distant 241 position, which made her stand no chance to be admitted.
The JAMB boss further disclosed that the university ought to have followed all procedures of admitting candidates starting from ensuring that the confirm with the quota allocated to them and ranking order, which was ignored in this case.
“The truth of the matter is that if she has a letter of provisional admission, it is not from JAMB. So, we welcome the wise counsel of the Senate president that the matter be investigated. We will cooperate with the Senate,” Oloyede added.
The Registrar assured the public that the Board and its staff would be vindicated, even as he expressed delight over the mediating role the exam body played between candidates and institutions in ensuring equity.
