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The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has explained that the recent cut-off point approved by the Board was intended to end subsisting cases of irregularities associated with admission across public universities in the country. The Board made this disclosure on Monday in statement issued by the Head of Public Affairs, Fabian Benjamin.
The statement claimed that some Universities were observed to have offered admission to candidates who did not sit for JAMB Examination. It added that it had introduced a Central Admissions and Processing System to monitor compliance with the minimum prescribed cut - off mark and other admission guidelines, as well as empower candidates to track the process of admission.
Benjamin further blamed education tourism on high cut -off mark lamenting that the development had even forced some Nigerians to “ glorified secondary schools called universities” in neighbouring countries and increased pressure on the naira to pay school fees in foreign currencies.
It read in part “...the cut - off marks previously brandished to the public were never strictly followed by most institutions. Some were going behind to admit candidates with far less scores, while others admitted candidates who never sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. This act, to say the least, is very distasteful and damaging to our national data and identity. Unfortunately, the public has been kept away from this fact for such a long time and now that we are saying it the way it is and working to address it, the public is criticizing us and using non - existing parameters that is only announced and not followed.’’
“It is necessary to explain that the 120 cut - off mark does not in any way suggest that if you score 120 admission is guaranteed. Institutions will admit from the top to the least mark. It’s also a known fact that for you to study a course, say Hausa, in Nigerian universities, you will need a credit in Mathematics. However in London, all you will need is a credit in Hausa and English. This and many other poorly thought - out policies have pushed frustrated candidates out of Nigeria to the developed and neighboring African nations for education , which they could not get at home."
It added that “the issue that all of us should be concerned about is how to address the flight of Nigerians to glorified secondary schools called universities in Ghana , Uganda, even in The Gambia and other countries . How do we ensure that whatever we do, has positive multiplier effects on other sectors of the economy, if we deny our candidates the opportunity to school in Nigeria?’’
