The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan Chapter has kicked against the recent policy of reassignment of candidates against their choices being adopted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
ASUU said JAMB has made the admission process chaotic and exposed candidates to fraudsters saying JAMB must respect candidates preferences and choices for tertiary institutions and consider security of lives of candidates, cost, proximity, quality, and rights of the Nigerian child in arriving at any policy.
The union therefore called on Nigerians to join in calling for the total scrapping of JAMB saying it has outlived its usefulness.
While reacting to the recent policy, ASUU Chairman, University of Ibadan, Professor Segun Ajiboye described the policy as insensitive and exploitative of the children of the poor adding that it amounted to abuse of their fundamental human rights of freedom of choice.
ASUU lashed out at the Professor Dibu Ojerinde-led JAMB Board for being so insensitive to the plights of the Nigerian masses whose parents have not been paid for months by some Governors but are now being forced to pay N1, 000 to know where they are reassigned against their choices.
Ajiboye asked JAMB to respect the Act establishing it (Act 5 (c i-iii) which prescribes that the placement of suitable qualified candidates into tertiary institutions must take into account “the preferences expressed or otherwise indicated by candidates for certain tertiary institutions and courses; the vacancies available in each tertiary institution; the guidelines approved for each tertiary institution by its proprietor or other competent authority.
In the absence of a substantive Minister of Education, the ASUU boss called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Dibu Ojerinde JAMB to order so as not to make the children of the masses who populate public schools suffer.
While calling on President Buhari to probe the over N1 billion that will be generated from the purchase of scratch cards of what he called ‘unpopular policy’, Ajiboye berated the racket on the sale of scratch cards which have been mopped up at JAMB offices by agents who now sell it for N1,500 to candidates.
According to Ajiboye, the University of Ibadan for instance, provides a level playing ground for students who scored 200 and above in JAMB examination to compete for the available spaces in the university.
“Candidates choose universities considering quality, cost, proximity, courses of choice, among others. Will Dibu Ojerinde pay for the fees so charged by the institutions (including exorbitant fees in private and State universities) where the candidates have been reassigned?
“If a candidate is reassigned from Lagos to Ondo State, Will Professor Dibu Ojerinde foot the bill and expenses incurred and in case of any accident. Who is JAMB protecting the candidates or their cronies in other institutions?
“An institution that asked candidates to make their choices of Universities, polytechnic and monotechnics has now turned back to impose tertiary institutions on candidates and is demanding another N1000 to access information. This JAMB has outlived its usefulness. ”
However, in its reaction to ASUU allegations, JAMB has explained that the policy to redistribute candidates who have cut-off marks
less than what their institutions of first choice required to needy
institutions was done to assist the candidates and their parents.
JAMB described the union’s claim that JAMB will make about N1 billion as proceeds from candidates buying cards to check their redistribution status as unfounded, noting that the checking is completely free and calling on parents and candidates to check the Board’s website from Thursday, 30th July, 2015, for their names and institutions they are placed in.
In a statement signed by JAMB’s Head of Media, Dr Fabian Benjamin, the Board explained “that the National cut-off marks of 180 for universities and 150 for Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Innovative Enterprise institutions in the 2015 UTME was a bench mark to set the tone for 2015 admission exercise.
“The Board has redistributed the other candidates who has cut-off marks less than what their first choice required to needy institutions
and we urge candidates and parent to check the Board’s website from Thursday, 30th July, 2015 for their names and institutions they are
placed in and it’s free without paying any amount. Please for purpose of clarity the checking is FREE.
“The decision to have a national accepted cut-off mark at policy meeting was to serve as a guide and pruning mechanism to give the tertiary institutions qualitative candidates to choose from a pool of candidates desirous of tertiary education.
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