Group commends govt Intervention over JAMB admission policy

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Following the modification of the recent controversial admission policy by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the National Association of Tutorial School Operators, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Yemi Osinbajo, for their intervention, which led to JAMB shifting ground.

President of the association, Mr. Oludotun Sodunke, who spoke on the issue said the association expresses it delight and commended JAMB Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde for showing compassion and giving a listening ear to candidates’ outburst.

It would be recalled that under the new policy, JAMB took the liberty to appropriate some candidates to universities other than the ones they chose, in a step it said was done to satisfy the needs of “needy universities.”

The ceded students were barred by their universities of choice from registering for the post-UTME.   Sodunke whose group mobilised candidates, parents and even went to court to protest the policy, said “We couldn’t have survived the struggle but for the assistance of all parties. And so, we appreciate President Buhari and his vice, Prof. Osinbajo for stepping into the matter.

Also to the members of the association, parents, dogged students and members of the fourth estate of the realm for their watchdog role.”   “We are also commending Ojerinde for showing compassion to us. The policy was not totally bad, but it was ill-timed.

It came as a rude shock and that was why we reacted the way we did. All we asked was that individual candidates be given equal opportunity to compete for the available slots. And we are glad that the policy was overruled.”

He advised Ojerinde to always engage key stakeholders and consult widely when formulating policies of such magnitude, as many candidates were destabilised with the news.   “If this policy was introduced earlier when candidates were buying JAMB forms, we would have sensitised over 350,000 candidates whom we are responsible to. We would have advised our students on how best to go about it.

It was not right to deny a candidate who scored 280 the opportunity to write post-UTME in his/her university of choice and then give those that have lesser marks the opportunity to do so.   “So, we came out that it was unfair. Let those that scored 200 and above be accorded the opportunity to write the post-UTME.

If for instance, the carrying capacity in our universities is 3,000, and one million candidates are competing… give them equal opportunity to compete. If they did not succeed, then JAMB can redistribute them.


Source: ngrguardiannews

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