The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) leadership has raised concerns over the operations of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). He labeled it as the ‘extortion’ of admission seekers nationwide.
In a statement released on Monday, Abdullahi Yelwa, the National Publicity Secretary of ASUP, urged JAMB to shift its focus from revenue generation to being service-oriented for citizens seeking admission into higher institutions.
During a presentation as a guest speaker at the Bauchi South Stakeholders Interactive Session, Yelwa stated, “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.”
He criticized the current system of offering only one choice of institution in reality, despite the provision for four choices in JAMB. He also asserted that the constant need to change institutions is burdensome for applicants.
Yelwa emphasized the revenue-centric approach of JAMB, pointing out that the process of changing institutions incurs additional expenses for applicants. He called on JAMB to reconsider its policies to reduce the financial burden on admission seekers.
However, Yelwa recommended extending the validity of JAMB results beyond one year whivh will allow the applicants who are not granted admission in a particular year to use the same results for seeking admission in the subsequent academic session.
He urged Senator Shehu Buba Umar, who organized the stakeholders’ session, to utilize his authority to address the situation and alleviate the challenges faced by admission seekers.
