UniAbuja Disagrees With JAMB, Says ‘Universities Have Power To Offer Admission’

The University of Abuja has reacted to reports that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had declared that the admissions being offered to candidates by some tertiary institutions, including UniAbuja, was illegitimate.

THE WHISTLER reported that JAMB’s Head Public Affairs and Protocols, Fabian Benjamin, had in a statement, advised candidates not to accept any admission that was not granted by the board.

He warned of dire consequences if students ignored the announcement.

“The attention of the Board has been drawn to the illegitimate admissions purportedly being conducted by some universities, including the University of Abuja.

“These universities have been reported to be issuing admission letters to candidates without recourse to the Board. It is, therefore, pertinent to state that such admissions that have not been proposed, approved nor accepted on the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) are null and void, and as such, asking hapless candidates to pay acceptance fees for such admissions that had not been processed through CAPS amounts to illegality,” he said.

But in a press release issued on Monday, the university’s Head, Information and University Relations University, Dr Habib Yakoob, denied that the institution conducted “any illegal admissions,” adding that it has to a great extent sought to comply with the JAMB directive within the purview of its constitutional powers.

“Our rules are clear and transparent. As long as candidates have taken the UTME, scored 180 and above, met the University’s cut off points and some other stringent criteria set by JAMB, the University ensures, within the limit of its capacity, that such candidates stand a chance of getting admitted.

“In other words, nobody who has not taken the UTME, nor failed to meet JAMB or University guidelines, can be admitted in the University of Abuja now.

“In any case, the University is familiar with the operation of CAPS, and has since, largely embraced it as part of its contributions to ensuring that the university system serves and protects the interest of all Nigerians in the search of quality tertiary education,” Yakoob said.

Furthermore, Yakoob contended that it was still within the powers of the university to give admission to candidates.

He urged the general public to continue to see the institution as a choice learning centre while assuring that the UniAbuja is operating within the confines of the law.

He said regardless of the development, the institution was working at strengthening and perfecting its own system.

“After all, it is not outside the powers of the University to conduct admissions of our students. The Universities Miscellaneous Provisions, (Amendment) Act 2003 7a (ii) states that “The Senate shall have powers in all academic matters including the organization and control, teaching and research, admission of students…” What this means is that the university, not any external body, is guaranteed the power of admissions.

“Let us assure JAMB, candidates and relevant stakeholders in the Nigerian educational project that the University of Abuja is engaged in honest, transparent and open admissions in all its various programmes, and certainly, it will continue to uphold these virtues which have been its defining hallmark, especially in the last couple of years,” he stated.