The far-reaching penalties of admission racketeering within the nation’s tertiary establishments however, the menace is flourishing as mirrored within the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) indicting 88 tertiary establishments for conducting admissions outdoors of its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). With over a million unlawful admissions carried out between 2017 and 2020, the company is threatening that it will now not regularise such admissions, OWEDE AGBAJILEKE studies.
On the lately held 2024 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) coverage assembly, one of many gorgeous revelations made by the examination physique was that between 2017 and 2020, some tertiary establishments admitted illegally, over a million college students.
A perplexed JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who describing the pattern as worrisome, knowledgeable stakeholders, which included the Minister of Schooling, Prof. Tahir Mamman, Minister of State for Schooling, Dr Tanko Sununu, heads of tertiary establishments, registrars and admission officers, amongst others, that many of the college students with unlawful admissions lacked the fundamental {qualifications} to be admitted for programs that they registered to check.
Oloyede listed the 5 universities concerned within the unlawful act to incorporate the College of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN); College of Abuja (UNIABUJA); Imo State College (IMSU); Kwara State College (KWASU), and Ambrose Alli College (AAU), Ekpoma.
Whereas the UNN had admission crises for regulated programmes like Medication, Legislation, and Nursing, UNIABUJA was accused of issuing admission letters earlier than finishing processes on the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) for 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 tutorial classes.
Equally, the JAMB boss accused IMSU and AAU of admission racketeering, including that each KWASU and Kwara State School of Arabic and Islamic Authorized Research (CAILS) diploma programmes had been fraught with irregularities.
Decrying what he termed “corrupt admission into tertiary establishments in Nigeria,” Oloyede lamented that whereas 600,000 of the admissions have been regularised after intervention by the Federal Ministry of Schooling, different establishments had been nonetheless engaged within the act.
In the identical vein, an evaluation of knowledge on admissions carried out for the 2022/2023 tutorial session, revealed that 88 increased establishments carried out admissions outdoors CAPS.
In a press release titled: “Cessation of unlawful/irregular admission,” JAMB reiterated that each one functions for admissions to first diploma, Nationwide Diploma, Nationwide Innovation Diploma, and the Nigeria Certificates in Schooling (NCE) into full-time, distance studying, part-time, outreach, and sandwich, have to be processed solely by way of the examination physique.
The report tagged, “Compiled evaluation of establishments on compliance with the 2022/2023 admission pointers,” scored establishments that complied absolutely with admission pointers 10 factors; these with partial compliance 5 factors, whereas those who did not comply had been awarded zero factors.
Findings confirmed that below the part for the conduct of full admissions on CAPS, 88 establishments did not comply.
On this class, a few of the erring establishments embrace: the College of Uyo (UNIUYO); Olabisi Onabanjo College (OOU), In the past-Iwoye; Yaba School of Expertise (YABATECH); Plateau State College; Ladoke Akintola College of Expertise (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso; Federal College of Expertise Owerri (FUTO); Coal Metropolis College; Crawford College, Igbesa; Crescent College; Ebonyi State College; Rhema College, Borno State College, Chrisland College; Federal Polytechnic, Nekede; Alvan Ikoku School of Schooling, and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu College, amongst others.
The event got here 9 months after the Nationwide Meeting launched a probe into allegations of admission racketeering in universities throughout the nation.
JAMB’s statutory duty is to conduct entrance examinations into the nation’s tertiary establishments. The examination physique in 2017 launched the CAPS the place universities, polytechnics, faculties of training, and monotechnics had been mandated to add the admission standing of candidates provided admission.
The examination physique, on its web site, defined that CAPS not solely automates the admission course of into increased establishments, it additionally eliminates circumstances of candidates abandoning admissions. The outfit additionally maintained that admissions carried out outdoors CAPS are unlawful, null, and void.
Moreover, it defined that CAPS streamlines the admissions course of, addresses challenges related to the handbook strategy, restores the autonomy of the establishments regarding admissions, makes candidates the main focus and empowers them with data on out there decisions of establishments, and programmes, expands admission alternatives, eliminates a number of admissions, and gives simply retrievable information for choice making and analysis on the nation’s training sector.
Moreover, the process helps JAMB to refocus its founding beliefs because the clearinghouse for admissions into tertiary establishments.
“Admission course of has many stakeholders and actors whose roles and features have been captured in CAPS. It consists of the roles of Admission Officers or the organ saddled with the interior admission course of in addition to heads of the establishment, who’ve the ultimate approval,” the examination physique additional defined.
Other than automating the method, the JAMB boss disclosed that a number of different improvements are being launched, together with alternatives for candidates to substantiate provisional admissions; a market to allow establishments to supply candidates from the out there pool based mostly on numerous standards reminiscent of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) rating, state, native council and even gender of the candidates; and the requirement for all awaiting outcomes candidates to add their outcomes into JAMB portal earlier than being thought of for admission.
As well as, the physique famous that admissions may be processed in batches, or instantaneously with candidates having the ability to verify their admission standing at any time limit on the JAMB portal.
Whereas calling for a probe of the establishments, the Nationwide Meeting directed its related committees to summon the Minister of Schooling, Tahir Mamman; JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, in addition to, the UNN Vice-chancellor.
In a movement by the senator representing Ebonyi North, Onyeka Nwebonyi, dated November 2023, the lawmaker alleged that college employees members conspired with JAMB officers to hold out unwholesome practices for monetary features.
Nwebonyi alleged that authorities of some tertiary establishments, in cahoots with some JAMB officers have reverted to the observe of provisional admissions into prized skilled programs like medication and surgical procedure, pharmacy, legislation, engineering, and nursing science in order to short-change these already provided admission in trade for gratification.
“The provisional admission observe is getting used as a malicious software to take advantage of and frustrate clever younger Nigerians, who’re kids and wards of bizarre individuals, who search admission into Nigerian universities,” he alleged.
Sadly, 9 months later, Nigerians are nonetheless awaiting the end result of the probe.
When contacted by The Guardian on the end result of the investigation, Senate Spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, expressed doubts if such a movement was moved within the hallowed chambers.
Whereas all these spotlight how dysfunctional the system has develop into through the years, the Tutorial Workers Union of Universities (ASUU) has insisted that the examination physique’s actions violate the College Autonomy Act, which empowers establishments to make impartial selections on tutorial and administrative issues.
ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, argued that it’s the prerogative and duty of every college Senate to superintend over all tutorial issues.
Osodeke mentioned: “The autonomy of universities is below rising risk by the meddlesome actions of JAMB in admission processes and regulation of educational actions. JAMB was created by an Act of the Nationwide Meeting in 1978 and it’s chargeable for the conduct of matriculation examinations for admission into tertiary establishments in Nigeria, the appointment of examiners, and dissemination of data on all issues referring to entrance examinations.”
The ASUU chief insisted that it’s the duty of every college’s Senate to superintend over all tutorial issues, together with setting admission necessities, and approval of college undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
In line with him, giving admission to candidates is the responsibility of a college’s Senate, whereas regulation or accreditation of programmes is the prerogative of the Nationwide Universities Fee (NUC).
“Nonetheless, it’s a matter of remorse that JAMB is working outdoors its jurisdiction of gathering and disseminating data on issues referring to admissions from respective establishments based mostly on Senate suggestions,” he mentioned.
The union subsequently referred to as on the examination physique to stay to its authentic mandate, and permit universities to determine on admission insurance policies and processes.
Whereas some contend that admitting unqualified college students would have an effect on their employability and contributions to society, analysts stress that this additionally has financial implications.
They identified that the long-term results of admission racketeering would result in a decline within the high quality of workforce emptied into society, in the end affecting the nation’s financial growth.
They additional keep that maintained that addressing admission racketeering requires a multi-faceted strategy involving institutional reforms, coverage adjustments, and societal re-orientation to uphold meritocracy, transparency, and accountability.
For the Secretary-Basic of, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, what is going on (admission racketeering) shouldn’t be new because the physique interfaced with the examination physique three years in the past to resolve problems with admission fraud.
He mentioned: “Most of these admissions rose because of programmes that had been run within the universities like pre-degree programs. So, when the scholars end these programmes, they’re supposed to realize admission into the college by way of direct entry, however the course of acquired a bit difficult. That matter was mentioned about three years in the past.
“For this new revelation of 1 million unlawful admissions, we’re listening to it for the primary time, however we’ll talk about it.”
On the actions taken by the committee when the matter grew to become public some years again, Ochefu mentioned intervention by the Federal Ministry of Schooling led to the regularisation of the admissions.
“These admissions had been regularised as a result of it was a directive that got here from the ministry that all the pieces admissions that had been irregular due to the mode of entry ought to be regularised, and the backlog cleaned out,” he added.
To nip fraudulent admission practices within the bud within the Nigeria College System (NUS), the Schooling Rights Marketing campaign (ERC), is asking on the Federal Authorities to right away declare a state of emergency within the training sector, emphasising that this may give start to wanted reforms.
The Nationwide Mobilisation Officer of the group, Adaramoye Lenin, famous that admission fraud within the nation’s tertiary establishments has far-reaching penalties, affecting people, establishments, and society as an entire.
The organisation lamented that racketeering perpetuates a tradition of corruption, undermines societal values and norms, and contributes to social unrest.
Lenin mentioned: “This in itself exhibits the issue within the Nigerian training system. It has been left within the palms of personal profiteers, who’re left to deal with totally different admission processes. And it has proven that the Nigerian training system is inherently corrupt; it’s because the mode of operation of the Nigerian society has been transferred into the training system”.
However the affected establishments, when contacted, mentioned many of the points have been resolved whereas efforts had been on to deal with pending ones.
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