By Segun Adyemi
Sequel to JAMB’s announcement of the new admission cut-off mark for 2017/2018 admission into tertiary institutions across the country, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, on Thursday slammed the Federal Government describing the move as ridiculous policy decision for the future of Nigeria.
Speaking to journalists in Ibadan, the chairman ASUU, University of Ibadan, Deji Omole, accused the federal government of making policies that could destroy education in Nigeria.
The JAMB registrar, Is’haq Oloyede had in agreement with other stakeholders announced 120 and 100 as the minimum scores for admission into university and polytechnic respectively.
“30 % of those in higher institutions do not take JAMB or have less than the cut-off marks. The admission process is now automated with direct involvement of the registrar of JAMB for final approval.
“We have agreed to regularize admissions that were done under the table this year. From next year we will not accept anything like that,” Mr Oloyede had said.
But Mr Omole, who accused the JAMB registrar of presiding over illegality, insisted that the decision on the cut-off mark is a sad policy decision for the future of Nigeria, particularly her education.
According to Mr Omole, rather than sanctioning the identified universities who admitted over 17,000 students illegally, the JAMB registrar simply regularised illegality and lowered cut-off marks to favour the interests of the friends of government who own private universities and are hell bent on destroying public education.
“Where are those the JAMB registrar said entered universities illegally? Which universities admitted them? If 30 percent did not take JAMB and found their way into the university system is that not corruption and a message that JAMB is not significant anymore? What sanction did those who did the illegal thing receive other than regularization of illegality?
“We are watching because long before now we have said that JAMB has outlived its usefulness.
“Let the universities set their unique standards and those who are qualified can come in. 120/400 is 30 percent. Even in those days 40 percent was graded as pass.
“But now JAMB said with F9 which is scoring 30 percent you can be admitted. They deliberately want to destroy education.
“Even for polytechnic 100 marks is 25 percent. It is sad. And that is where we are in Nigeria. They want to destroy public education at all cost. This is not setting standard for education in Nigeria.
“It is purely lowering standards and digging grave for the future. This is why ASUU is currently on the struggle to influence the government to do the needful for education in Nigeria,” he added.
