The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has called on parents to refrain from making unfounded accusations against universities regarding perceived unfair denial of admission to their children.
The advisory, issued on Sunday, comes after a series of complaints, including one involving Mr. Godwin Nsan, who accused the University of Calabar of unjustly denying his son admission.
In a statement released by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the board clarified that the candidate in question, who scored 201 in the UTME, fell short of the university’s required cut-off marks.
With an aggregate score of 34%, the candidate did not meet the university’s merit cut-off of 55%, catchment cut-off of 35%, or the ELDS cut-off of 35%. Benjamin emphasized that after further investigation, it became evident that the candidate had failed to meet the necessary admission criteria.
Similarly, JAMB responded to an allegation made by a senior public figure against Modibbo Adama University, Yola, claiming irregularities in the institution’s admission process. After an investigation, JAMB found the claims to be baseless.
The board also addressed a case in which a father accused the University of Jos of unjustly denying his son, who scored 345 in the UTME, admission.
The father was invited to JAMB’s headquarters, where it was revealed that his son ranked 86th, while only 68 candidates were eligible for admission based on merit.
JAMB clarified that the ranking process, which considers the competition among candidates and the institution’s capacity, may result in a lower ranking despite a high score.
The father later apologized after understanding the ranking system.
JAMB further issued a warning about the misuse of the “exceptionally brilliant window” introduced for candidates under the age of 16.
The board highlighted an increasing number of candidates being registered under this category, which does not align with global standards where only a few exceptional candidates qualify.
Benjamin reiterated JAMB’s commitment to maintaining a fair and transparent admission process, citing that a senior university official is currently being prosecuted for admission fraud, with four others under investigation.
He urged parents to avoid jumping to conclusions without fully understanding the performance of other candidates, stressing that the UTME is a ranking examination designed to determine a candidate’s position within the competitive landscape of Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
The advisory serves as a reminder for all stakeholders to respect the established admission criteria and ensure that the process remains fair and equitable.
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