We'll Okay Admission After Universities Screening, Says JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation
Board has given condition for the 2016
admissions, saying it will only give
approval “after appropriate screening of
the candidates by the institutions.”
The Registrar/Chief Executive of JAMB,
Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, said this in a
statement on Sunday.
Ojerinde said, “The Joint Admissions and
Matriculation Board wishes to state that
the latest list of candidates sent to all the
tertiary institutions contains candidates
who qualified for screening based on the
individual institution’s capacity. It’s not in
any way an admission list.
“However, if this list is not sufficient for
the need of any institution, such institution
can source from the omnibus printout
earlier sent to them by the board. The
public and all tertiary institutions should
note that admission will only be approved
by the board after appropriate screening of
the candidates by the institutions.
“The list, which is made up of candidates,
who met the national cut-off point within
the set criteria, is sent to the institutions.
Again, for purposes of clarity, all
institutions that have need for more can
source from their omnibus printout as
stated above. The candid intention of the
board is to ensure that available spaces
are adequately utilised.”
The Federal Government had, on Saturday,
clarified its ban on Post-Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination and the general
admission procedure.
It said it “does not in any way affect the
statutory role of the Senate of any
university or the academic board of any
tertiary institution conducting its
admissions.”
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu
Adamu, also made the clarification in a
statement by the Deputy Director of Press
and Public Relations in the Ministry of
Education, Mr. Ben. Bem-Goong.
He said the clarification became necessary
“following conflicting reports in the media
over the roles of universities and JAMB in
admission under the new dispensation.”
According to him, the role of JAMB is to
conduct the UTME, compile the list of
candidates whose scores meet the cut-off
marks (180 and above) and send same to
the universities.
The institutions, he emphasised, would
shortlist the candidates, using the agreed
guidelines and thereafter return the
shortlisted candidates to JAMB for
verification of compliance with the
guidelines and issuance of JAMB
admission letters.
“For the avoidance of doubt, any screening
charges shall apply only to successful
candidates, who have been issued
admission by the universities of their
choice,” Adamu stated.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of the
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof.
Ibrahim Garba, has said the Senate of
universities in the country should be
responsible for setting standards for
admissions into their institutions.
Garba stated this while answering
questions at the News Agency of Nigeria
forum in Abuja.
The vice-chancellor faulted the situation
where JAMB and the Ministry of Education
set standards for admission into the
university.
Garba stated, “Universities have autonomy
by law; each university should set its
criteria for taking students.
“But of course, JAMB and the ministry are
saying that because it is our country, we
must have a policy that regulates, so that
we have a good balance but not on quality.
“A university Senate is supposed to set
standard for accepting students that it
takes and trains and graduates.
“We are hoping that very soon, we will
resolve this matter because it is getting
more and more embarrassing.
“Even the state universities have told the
Federal Government that education is in
the concurrent list in the constitution.
“The Federal Government has no control
and should not have control over a state
university; they have a council appointed
by the governor.
“They can only fulfil NUC’s standard
requirements, but not admission quota.’’
The ABU vice-chancellor explained that the
minister’s directive, leading up to the
scrapping of the post-UTME, had created
an impasse in universities as they had yet
to begin admissions.
According to him, universities could not
take the products of JAMB without further
testing them.
He said that universities, being the
recipients of the candidates, should be
able to select those they could train.
Garba added, “We found it, as universities,
that the post-UTME tests are the best to
get the best. JAMB is only trying to
improve, but still not perfect to a point that
we can trust.
“Post-UTME has a history; even when it
started, JAMB encouraged us to do it.
JAMB is improving, but it is not yet there
because every year, we receive these
products and we see what they are.”
He said that in 2016, ABU had 49,000
applicants, who scored above 180 points
while its admission capacity was 6,500.
Copyright PUNCH.