Universities flout rules of admission for 2017/2018

Admission procedures for 2017/2018 academic year in some nation’s tertiary institutions have been laced with varying degrees of controversies, confusions, uncertainties across the country as candidates seeking admission this year into any of the institutions, especially federal and state universities are faced with the challenge of indiscriminate cut off points, post UME fees different from the ones approved by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and other stake holders in a meeting held recently in Abuja.

This scenario has thrown many of the prospective candidates into serious dilemma as different criteria are rolled out by different universities everyday.

encomium.ng’s findings revealed that some federal universities, including University of Ibadan (UI), University of Lagos (UNILAG), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and few others have insisted not to allow any candidate that scored below 200 into their institutions as against the approved 120 cut off marks which had earlier circulated and boosted the morales of the numerous candidates who scored below the usual 200 marks.

Also, another misconception  emerged along the line in addition to the controversiial cut off points of 120 and above which is the post UME test usually conducted by each university after the universal matriculation examinations by JAMB. This, however, has been reportedly scrapped by the minister of Education, Mr Adamu Adamu and was okayed by JAMB registrar, Prof Isiaq Oloyede. The communique in respect of that was also reportedly sent across to all the vice chancellors, rectors and provosts of the country’s tertiary institutions in respect of this year’s admission.

However, there was a turn of event as the minister still considered it necessary for all these institutions to conduct private screening with an approved fee of N2,000 which also takes the form of the regular Post UME examinations but with a serious warning to the institutions not to charge above the stipulated price.

But the situation seems not to be in comformity with the guidelines as many of these institutions are now charging as high as N6000, N7000 as it may apply. For instance, encomium.ng findings revealed that  UNILAG, UI, UNIPORT, OAU, UNIBEN levy their prospective candidates the official N2000 as annouced in their respective portals but with other unofficial charges, including interswitch, portal and Computer Based Test (CBT), no candidate seeking admission for any course in any of these institutions pay less than N6000. Even some end up paying ad high as N11000.

One of the candidates who preferred anonymity told encomium.ng that he was asked to pay additional N2500 for him to sit the post UME test otherwise now referred to as screening.

“It’s lie, none of these universities collects N2000 as approved during the meeting with ministry of Education and JAMB. They have created all other means of exploiting us. For instance, I paid N4,500 in my university of first choice. For those changing their institutions, they’re likely to pay more.

“Even, at that, we’re not sure of admission this year again because of the ongoing strike as most universities are yet to round off their first semester let alone the whole session.”