By Milcah Tanimu

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has strongly criticized the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), accusing it of engaging in extortion and limiting admission opportunities for students across states. ASUP, through its National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi Yelwa, urged JAMB to shift its focus from revenue generation to providing better services to citizens seeking admission into higher institutions.

Yelwa expressed these concerns while delivering a paper as a guest speaker at the Bauchi South Stakeholders Interactive Session organized by Senator Shehu Buba Umar. He argued that JAMB’s current practices are causing unnecessary hardship for Nigerians and restricting enrollment opportunities in tertiary institutions.

According to Yelwa, the concept of having four choices in JAMB or UMTE is deceptive, as in reality, only one choice of institution matters. He criticized the practice of forcing students to change institutions if they cannot secure admission to their first choice, emphasizing the financial burden this places on applicants.

Yelwa urged JAMB to cease deceptive practices and advocated for a system where if an applicant doesn’t secure admission to their first choice, the subsequent choices should provide alternatives without the need for constant changes.

In a recommendation to Senator Umar, Yelwa suggested utilizing his authority to address the situation. Additionally, he proposed that JAMB should extend the validity of its results beyond one year, allowing applicants to use the same results for seeking admission in subsequent academic sessions.

The ASUP leadership’s stance sheds light on the ongoing debate surrounding JAMB’s role in the admission process and raises questions about the system’s efficiency and fairness.