JAMB introduces flexible cut-off marks for admission seekers
Abuja – The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has introduced flexible cut-off marks to expand admissions to tertiary institutions of learning in the country.
Registrar of the Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede stated this on Monday at the second technical committee meeting on “2016 Admissions to Tertiary Institutions” held at the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri.
According to the Registrar, the meeting was principally
aimed at finding solution to the army of admission seekers who were admitted in
the first batch. “The purpose of today’s meeting is essentially to consider
admissions of our teeming applicants who were not considered during the first
exercise.
Your Excellency,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, kindly recall that at the two (2) previous
meetings in Kano and Abuja, I stated that the Board would cooperate with the
various institutions in carrying out the mandates of their respective Senates
and Academic Boards on admission matters. Therefore, the Board would not impose
candidates on them but, as a referee, would ensure that no applicant is
unjustifiably denied the opportunity of access to tertiary institutions in
Nigeria,” said Oloyede in his opening remarks.
Oloyede noted that the Board will continue to get involve in
admission matters in a way that reflects national concern in a season of
change, devoid of corruption. This, he stated has already received the
blessings of the Education Minister and other education stakeholders across the
length and breadth of the country.
“In this respect, we
should be seen in a conspicuous and proven manner that we have the interest of
the nation in mind in carrying out our statutory functions. I am pleased to
note that we adhered to all the decisionsreached at the 2016-Policy Meeting
chaired by our effective and efficient Honorable Minister of Education, Mallam
Adamu Adamu,” he said adding that as “expected of any responsible institution
under a national dispensation that is uncompromisingly averse to corruption and
lack of transparency, no review of any policy will be selective, sectional or
an under the table-deal.” On the controversial minimum cut-off mark for admission
into tertiary institution, Oloyede said time had come to review same; noting
that uniformity across board should not be encouraged, arguing that since the
various institutions award different categories of certificates; same cut-off
mark is untenable.
His words: “Let me in this connection, address the issue of
the minimum national cut-off mark which is normally decided at the Policy
Meetings. By way of information, the Policy Meeting is one that comprises the
Honourable Minister of Education as the Chairman, the Heads of Regulatory
Bodies in the Education Sector such as NUC, NBTE, NABTEB, NCCE, the Heads of
Tertiary Institutions, the Board and other Stakeholders. It was at this meeting
that a decision of 180 as the 2016 National cut-off mark was reached. However,
many Institutions, though part of the decision, have expressed concern on their
inability to effect this cut-off mark as they are finding it difficult to fill
a reasonable percentage of their quota if the rule is strictly applied ….”
For
the ex-Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, the inability of some
institutions to fill their admission quota due to the strict implementation of
the 180 minimum cut-off mark is a disservice to the nation’s quest for
expansion of education as a tool of change and development. “As a Board, we
have studied the trend of admissions and have come up with a finding that
hardly do the institutions collectively fill their quota annually. Indeed, in
some cases, up to 50% of approved quota is wasted particularly by upright institutions
which do not circumspect the rule.
Unfortunately, a large number of institutions flagrantly
disregarded the cut-off and many other policies. Yet they found a way to
eventually regularize the illegal admissions through corrupt process,” the JAMB
boss further added. Apparently to send a warning to his staff, Oloyede stated
that even before he assumed duties at the Board, his predecessor had sanctioned
those found to have been complicit in shady admission practices. “Shortly
before my assumption of office, twelve officials of JAMB who had conspired with
officials of some institutions to abuse the regularization process were
dismissed from service,” adding that JAMB “has insisted on total recovery of
millions of Naira involved in the deal.”
JAMB, he said has collated the requests from the various
Senates and Academic Boards and have made our pleas known to appropriate
authorities. The former VC also expressed joy in the fact that though the
initiative is only a few months old, change is already being felt. “Just this
morning we received a green light on flexible cut-off mark only for
institutions which have exhausted the list of candidates with180 and above,
subject, of course to a minimum acceptable to JAMB and meeting of other pre
requisites.
In addition we have re opened the portal for change of
institutions and courses so that institutions and candidates can legitimately
without any need for regularization, effect change of course at the point of
entry rather than National Youth Service Corps, NYSC- inspired regularization
with attendant abuse. I have given a personal and official assurance to NYSC
that all abuse/loopholes have been blocked,” he stressed. On the need to be
service-driven, the JAMB boss noted that a lot still need to be done, saying a
lot has evolved over the years; more still need to be done. He said, “Service
delivery is aimed at improving the value of services rendered.
As a Board, we are
reviewing the process of some of our service delivery platforms to the public
aimed at enhancing our services to the public in line with international best
practices that will eliminate some of the difficulties our clients go through
in accessing our services. The Board has therefore created on-line platforms
for such services as purchase of application documents, change of
course/institution, correction of data, etc., adding that “the platform
provides for all the services candidates may require from the Board without
increasing the service charge. It is no longer required of any applicant to travel
to Bwari for any of the services. They are on line. Help desks on line, have
also been opened.
The beauty of it is that Heads of Institutions are directly
involved in these processes because of the need to ensure transparency,
accountability and completely eradicate abuses that were prevalent in the old
order.” In the years ahead, Oloyede said Nigerians would be proud of JAMB in
their service to the country even as he prayed for the cooperation and
understanding of all and sundry in the task of making the Board better than he
met it.
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