Senate summons minister, JAMB chief over admission racketeering in varsities

The Senate has resolved to investigate allegations of admission racketeering in universities across the country.

This followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by the Senator representing Ebonyi North, Onyeka Nwebonyi, during Wednesday’s plenary in Abuja.

In his presentation, Nwebonyi alleged that the university staff conspired with officials of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to sell spaces in the varsities.

He said: “One Miss Chinyere Ekwe and 290 others were admitted to study Medicine and Surgery at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka but had their admissions truncated on the order of JAMB for no plausible reason after they had 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.

“The young girl was transferred to the Department of Medical Laboratory Science on the grounds that if her cumulative grade point was up to 4.5 points after the first year, she would be transferred back to medicine and surgery.

READ ALSO: Reps ask JAMB to extend UTME result validity to three years

“However, although she surpassed the 4.5 threshold, her admission status is still not yet certain whether she is duly admitted to the Department of Medicine and Surgery or Medical Laboratory Science.”

The lawmaker lamented that unwholesome practices by JAMB and university staff officials have put the country’s educational system in jeopardy.

In his remark, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, urged the lawmakers to give the parties a fair hearing on the matter.

He directed the Senate Committees on Tertiary Institutions and the Tertiary Education Fund; as well as Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, to probe the allegation of admission fraud in the institutions.

Akpabio also asked the committees to summon the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, the JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, and the UNN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Charles Igwe, on the matter.

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