Abuja – Vice-Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria Prof. Ibrahim Garba says the Senate of universities in the country should be responsible for setting standards for admission into their institutions.
Garba stated this while answering questions at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Forum in Abuja.
The vice-chancellor faulted the situation where the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) and the Ministry of Education set standards for admission into the university.
“Universities have autonomy by law; each university should set its criteria for taking students.
“But of course JAMB and the ministry are saying that because it is our country, we must have a policy that regulates, so that we have a good balance but not on quality.
“A university senate is supposed to set standard for accepting students that it takes and train and graduate.
“We are hoping that very soon we will resolve this matter because it is getting more and more embarrassing.
“Even the state universities have told Federal Government that education is in the concurrent list in the constitution.
“The Federal Government has no control and should not have control over a state university; they have a council appointed by the governor.
“They can only fulfil NUC’s standard requirements, but not admission quota.’’
He said the minister’s directive leading up to the scrapping of post-Unified Matriculation Examination (post -UTME) had created an impasse in universities as they were yet to begin admissions.
According to him, universities cannot take the products of JAMB without further testing them.
The vice-chancellor said that universities, being the recipients of the candidates, should be able to select those they could train.
“We found it as universities that post-UTME tests are the best to get the best.
“JAMB is only trying to improve, but still not perfect to a point that we can trust.
“Post-UTME has a history; even when it started, JAMB encouraged us to do it.
“JAMB is improving, but it is not yet there because every year we receive these products and we see what they are,’’ he said.
He said that in 2016, ABU had 49,000 applicants, who scored above 180 points while its admission capacity was 6,500.
He stated in view of this scenario, it is not possible for the university to admit students without conducting post-UTME to cut down the number.
Garba said that lining up candidates to screen their papers was cumbersome, outdated, and expensive and could create room for sentiments.
