JAMB has no right to conduct admissions, says ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) has no right to conduct admissions for higher institutions in the country.

Emmanuel Osodeke, the union’s national president, argued in a statement that JAMB’s action of handling higher institutions’ admission was an encroachment into the university’s autonomy.

He said JAMB had no power to decide qualification, give admission, or delist programmes of universities.

The ASUU president also said JAMB is an exam body and clearinghouse for admission into tertiary institutions.

“The autonomy of universities is under increasing threat by the meddlesome activities of JAMB in admission processes and regulation of academic activities in the Nigerian university system,” he said.

“JAMB was created by an Act of the National Assembly in 1978.

“[It is] responsible for the conduct of matriculation examinations for admission into a tertiary institution in Nigeria, appointment of examiners, and dissemination of information on all matters relating to entrance exams.

“It is the prerogative and responsibility of each university senate to superintend over all academic matters in the university.

“These include setting the admission requirements and approval of university undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.”

Osodeke called on JAMB to desist from overstepping its boundaries.

“Giving admission to candidates is the duty of senate, while regulation or accreditation of programmers is the prerogative of National Universities Commission,” he added.

“However, it is a matter of regret that JAMB is operating outside its jurisdiction of collecting and disseminating information on matters relating to admissions from respective institutions based on senate recommendations.

“We call upon JAMB to desist from overstepping its original mandate and allow universities to decide on admission policies and processes.”

Earlier, ASUU had described the promotion of Ali Isa Pantami, the minister of communications and digital economy, to a professor as illegal.

It also vowed to sanction the vice-chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), which named the minister as a professor in cybersecurity during its council’s 186th meeting.

The union, on Monday, declared a one-month strike over the federal government’s failure to meet its demands.