The National Publicity Secretary, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Abdullahi Yelwa, has challenged the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to stop extorting Nigerians who are seeking admission into higher institutions in the country.
He wondered why JAMB which is supposed to be a service-oriented government institution has turned into a revenue-generating organ which is causing untold hardship on Nigerians.
Yelwa stated this in a paper presentation at the first ‘Bauchi South Stakeholders Interactive Session’ organised by the Senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, Buba Umar, on Saturday in Bauchi.
Yelwa said, “On student enrollment in higher institutions particularly, observing the trend at which educational regulatory institutions, especially JAMB as an institution of government, has become a revenue-generating institution rather than a service-oriented institution.
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.
“The acclaimed four choices in JAMB or UMTE is just a mirage because, in reality and practice, there’s only one choice of institution. No matter what your score is, if you cannot get admission in the current session, your score is useless, you’ll have to do it again.
“This is focusing on revenue generation and this issue of changing institutions constantly because any institution that is not your first choice cannot give you admission. So, there’s no need for second, third or fourth choices if you can’t get admission there.
You must go back to JAMB and you must pay and change the institution. So, JAMB should stop deceiving Nigerians, they should stop wasting the resources of Nigerians and we should respect these choices. If you can’t get admission in the first choice, the others should offer you admission so that our children will not be subjected to untold hardship.”
He advised JAMB to extend the validity of its results beyond one year so that applicants who are not offered admission that year can use the same results to seek admission in the next academic session “so that financial stress can be removed from Nigerians.”
Yelwa charged the Senator to use his position to ensure that the situation was stopped.
In his speech, Umar explained that he convened the interactive session to afford stakeholders representing various strata, interests, persuasions and goals from this senatorial district the opportunity to discuss matters of concern, interest and importance to the people, with a view to charting the way forward and providing solutions to the issues.
Umar said, “It is for this reason that the programme has as its theme: ‘Attaining a brighter future for Bauchi South Senatorial District through the 10th Assembly: A legislative Agenda for the Senator.’
“This means that we are here today to interact with one another, for me to feel the pulse of my people, share their problems, discuss their concerns and in a united and purposeful way, chart the path to progress, prosperity and transformation in Bauchi South District.
“I believe our stewardship so far is an eye-opener to the kind of representation, leadership and service we are out to provide. In the space of the five months of our stewardship so far, our efforts both on the floor of the Senate and across all aspects of my responsibility as the Senator representing this great constituency are properly documented and duly recorded, such that a lot of our people understand clearly that we are out to work with other leaders and stakeholders to turn around the fortunes of our people.”
Umar concluded, “It is, therefore, my hope that through this kind of engagement, a sure realistic and sustainable path to achieving the socio-political, educational and other developmental goals of Bauchi South Senatorial District are realised.
“To go far on this journey, however, we need the wisdom of our elders, the support and encouragement of our traditional rulers, the sound ideas of our scholars, the guidance of religious clerics, the energy and commitment of our youths, the determination of our women and the rest.”
