You lack power to meddle in admissions, UNIABUJA tells JAMB

Denies admitting students illegally
Leadership of the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) has told Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) that it lacks constitutional powers to meddle in admission of new students into universities.

The declaration by the university came after JAMB alleged that it was engaging in admissions outside the constitutional provisions.

Quoting the relevant constitutional provisions guiding the operations of the nation’s university education system, the University of Abuja, in a statement by its Head, Information and University Relations, Dr. Habib Yakoob, insisted that it was not out of place for it to conduct admissions without JAMB’s input.

According to UNIABUJA, the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Act 2003 7a (ii) states that “The Senate shall have powers in all academic matters, including the organisation and control, teaching and research, admission of students… What this means is that the university, not any external body, is guaranteed the power of admissions.”

The statement, tagged: “The University of Abuja is not engaged in illegal admissions” reads further: “The University of Abuja has been constrained to respond to recent reports in the media that JAMB has named the university, among others (curiously unmentioned), as being engaged in ‘illegal admissions’ exercise because it failed to upload the list of its admission on Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).

“UNIABUJA categorically and emphatically states that it has not conducted any illegal admissions, and has nothing to hide as far as its admission exercise is concerned.

“It makes bold to state that, at the moment, the university has one of the best and most transparent systems of admission in the country.

“This, indeed, is the only federal university which catchment area is the whole of Nigeria, and truly and practically admits from all states of the country, while simultaneously upholding the principle of merit and excellence!

“In any case, the university is familiar with the operation of CAPS, and has since, largely embraced it as part of its contributions to ensuring that the university system serves and protects the interest of all Nigerians in the search of quality tertiary education.”