By Michael Agbaji
The Senate Deputy Whip and Senator representing Ebony North senatorial district Sen.Peter Nwebonyi has called the Nigerian Universities and JAMB not to deny children of the poor to study the course of their choice.
Senator Nwebonyi this on Wednesday follows a motion of Urgent Need to curtail the practice of Undisclosed Admissions and other unwholesome practices by JAMB and Universities, particularly the University of Nigeria, Niukka”
He says they a need to represent the common Nigerian and fight for their rights.
In the motion he “Notes that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) was established in 1978, originally, with the mandate to regulate admissions into Nigeria Universities through the university matriculation examination (UME);
According to him, the duties of JAMB were later expanded to include regulating admissions into other higher or tertiary educational institutions in Nigeria, prompting the change of nomenclature of the entrance examination from the UME to the United Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), to include entrance into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, mono-technics, and colleges of education,
He further stated that, JAME initially offer provisional admissions into tertiary institutions on awaiting result status but stopped it on the ground that many applicants who were offered such admissions abused the awaiting result life-line by not obtaining the qualifying results for the admissions till their graduation.
On the travails of one Miss Chinyere Ekwe and 290 others who were admitted to study medicine and surgery at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Sen Nwebonyi condemned on how her admissions truncated on the order of JAMB for no plausible reason, after completed the admission processes and resumed lectures. Miss Ekwe in particular, scored 291 in the 2019 UTME and 300 in the university’s post UTME which qualified her for the course, and was subsequently admitted by the university:
Further concerned that such unwholesome practices put our educational system in jeopardy, cause apathy on the side of ordinary Nigerians and also dampen the renewed hope this government stands for,
After a long deliberation during the plenary session, the Senate further resolved to urging University of Nigeria Nsukka UNN to oblige to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to give an Admission Letter to Miss Chinyere Ekwe to study Medicine and Surgery Science without further delay.
Others resolution include:
” Also to compel JAMB and University of Nigeria, Nsukka to resolve the lingering cases of “Undisclosed Admissions” that has left the fate of the other 290 qualified students hanging in the balance in the university by giving them their admission letters; and
“Summon JAMB and University of Nigeria Nsukka to explain the circumstances surrounding this “Undisclosed Admissions” phenomenon and the career killing saga.”
The senator stressed: “Every admission coming from jamb or the universities should be certain that she is qualified to study medicine or surgery, or she is not qualified. The idea of changing schools, especially when some people are qualified, and when some people have been given an admission only to turn around to swap the courses is a kind as far as I’m concerned.
“And that is why we’re calling on authority. relevant committees of the Senate to investigate this allegation is a very rich allegation. This is not only affecting children. It’s only affecting other children and historical antecedents of UNN.
“And I know what is happening to you and maybe you happen to know investors. So that is why we’re calling on the real bank committees of the Senate to invite the investing here from both parties and address this issue because this problem will destroy the future of our children.
“And I must tell you as a nation, we may develop infrastructurally and otherwise, but the best development we can give to ourselves and to another generation is to give our children quality education.
Speaking to newsmen,Sen.Nwebonyi said Chinyere Ekwe was transferred to the department of medical laboratory science on the ground that if her cumulative grade point is up to 45 points after the first year, she would be transferred back to medicine and surgery. However, despite the fact that she surpassed the 4.5 threshold, her admission status is still not yet certain as to whether she is duly admitted in the department of medicine and surgery or medical laboratory science;
He further stated that, the provisional admission practice is being used as a malicious tool to exploit and frustrate intelligent young Nigerians who are children and wards of ordinary people, who seek admission into Nigerian Universities;
According to him,the Concerned here is the psycho emotional trauma this unexplained course swap bears on the victims is so. devastating that it is capable of leading the individuals to depression, loss of enthusiasm, and worse even, leading some of the victims into crimes; and also that such uncertainty and unfair treatment as meted out to Miss Chinyere Ekwe could cause the aspiring young girl irredeemable emotional trauma and loss of confidence in the Nigerian state.
