Acclaimed Four Choices in UTME, A Mirage- ASUP Warns JAMB on Extortion
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has requested the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to stop “extorting” Nigerian students seeking admission into higher institutions bothering on the four choices in UTME, saying it is a mirage.
The Union’s National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi Yelwa made this known while he presented a paper as a guest speaker at the Bauchi South Stakeholders Interactive Session organized by the Senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, Shehu Buba Umar, at the weekend.
According to Abdullahi Yelwa, JAMB has now become a revenue-generating organ causing untold hardship for Nigerians because of extortion.
“What JAMB is doing now is extorting Nigerians and causing unnecessary hardship on Nigerians and also locking opportunities instead of widening and increasing opportunities for enrollment in tertiary institutions,” Yelwa said
“The acclaimed four choices in JAMB or UMTE is just a mirage because, in reality and practice, there’s only one choice of institution. No matter what your score is, if you cannot get admission in the current session, your score is useless, you’ll have to do it again.
“They are focusing on revenue generation and this issue of changing institutions constantly because any institution that is not your first choice, cannot give you admission. So, there’s no need for second, third, or fourth choices if you can’t get admission there.
“You must go back to JAMB and you must pay and change the institution. So, JAMB should stop deceiving Nigerians, they should stop wasting the resources of Nigerians and we should respect these choices. If you can’t get admission in the first choice, the others should offer you admission so that our children will not be subjected to untold hardship.”
Yelwa, thereby, advised Senator Umar to use his position to ensure that the situation is stopped, adding that JAMB should extend the validity of its results beyond one year so that applicants who are not offered admission that year can use the same results to seek admission in the next academic session “so that financial stress can be removed from Nigerians.”
Responding, the convener of the meeting stated that one of the reasons he organised the interactive season was a result of the deteriorating state of education, right from primary to tertiary institutions.
“It is for this reason that the programme has as its theme: Attaining a brighter future for Bauchi South Senatorial District through the 10th Assembly: A legislative Agenda for the Senator”.
“This means that we are here today to interact with one another, for me to feel the pulse of my people, share their problems, discuss their concerns, and in a united and purposeful way, chart the path to progress, prosperity, and transformation in Bauchi South District,” Umar added.
Follow us for more stories…
Author
