JAMB Has Been Overruled by FG on New Admission Policy

The Federal Government has overruled the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, on its new controversial admission policy that recently sparked off protests among students in the country.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, MacJohn Nwaobiala, told State House correspondents of the federal government's directive on Tuesday, after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari of his ministry’s activities and challenges at the Presidential Villa.

JAMB had, at its 2015 Combined Policy Meeting, adopted a policy whereby candidates of universities with surplus applicants for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations are reassigned to other universities with lower number of applicants than their capacities.

Protest started at UNILAG when the institution’s authorities announced that only candidates whose names were officially forwarded by JAMB are eligible to participate in this year’s UNILAG Post-UTME.

Mr Nwaobiala said the decision was jointly taken at a stakeholders’ meeting that had parents and others.

He said because of the dust raised by the development, the Federal Government had commenced consultation with the aim of identifying where adjustments could be made.

Students that made the cut-off marks have been directed to go and write post-UME examinations in their schools of first choice since that was the bone of contention.