SENATE SUMMONS EDUCATION MINISTER, JAMB REGISTRAR, UNN VC OVER ADMISSION RACKETEERING 08-11-23
By Sadiq Aminu The Senate has summoned the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, the Registrar of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board ( JAMB) , Professor Ishaq Oloyede and Vice Chancellor of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Professor Charles Igwe over alleged admission racketeering .
They are to appear before its committees on Public Petitions and Tertiary Education and TETFUND for explanations on alleged undisclosed admissions and unwholesome practices by JAMB and Universities, particularly the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The resolution was sequel to a motion by Senator Peter Nwebonyi representing Ebonyi North.
In the motion, he alleged that some JAMB officials in collaboration with Admission officers in the universities are involved in the unwholesome practice of shortchanging some students in the admission process .
According to him, the alleged practices, are mostly carried out on students seeking for professional courses like medicine and surgery, pharmacy, law, Engineering, nursing science, etc.
He cited the case of one Miss Chinyere Ekwe and 290 others who were admitted to study medicine and surgery at the University of Nigeria Nsukka but had their admissions shortened on the order of JAMB for No plausible reason, after they had completed the admission processes and resumed lectures.
According to Senator Peter Nwebonyi
“Miss Ekwe, in particular, scored 291 in the 2019 UTME and 300 in the university’s post UTME, which qualified her for the course and was subsequently admitted by the university but later transferred to the department of medical laboratory science on the ground that if her cumulative grade point is up to 4.5 points after the first year, she would be transferred back to medicine and surgery.
“However, despite the fact that she surpassed the 4.5 threshold, her admission status is still not yet certain as to whether she is duly admitted in the department of medicine and surgery or medical laboratory science”.
Senator Nwebonyi alleged that the provisional admission practice is being used as a malicious tool to exploit and frustrate intelligent young Nigerians who are children and wards of ordinary people who seek admission into Nigerian universities.
” Such unwholesome practices put our educational system in jeopardy, cause apathy on the side of ordinary Nigerians, and also dampen the renewed hope this government stands for”, he stressed.
The Senate, However rejected the prayers sought by the Senator to compel JAMB to give immediate admission to Miss Chinyere Ekwe on the ground that the allegations raised required thorough investigation .