Scores of graduates of the Kwara State University (KWASU) have not regularised their admission with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). This unsavory situation may again disallow the affected students to be mobilised for this year’s mandatory National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, Adekunle Jimoh reports.
IT is the same lamentation for the students of the Kwara State University (KWASU) who have not regularised their admissions with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). While the affected students are putting the blame at the doorsteps of the school authorities and JAMB, the school has absolved itself of any blame. The school advanced uploading of conflicting and contradictory information on JAMB Central Admission System (CAS) as the cause of the hiccup.
As another convocation beckons at KWASU, some students who are yet to get admission verification have started fidgeting that they might not be mobilised for the NYSC programme again.
A mass communication graduate awaiting convocation told our correspondent that JAMB, KWASU and students shared the blame.
The graduate, who spoke in confidence, said that some students got admissions from both JAMB and KWASU, adding that they “failed to effect the anomaly expeditiously before graduating. Others supply different information to JAMB and KWASU.
“Some of my classmates are affected by the problem. Unfortunately, the processes for regularisation is cumbersome and delaying. Thankfully, some have been able to rectify theirs.”
Happily, KWASU conceded that the issue persists, but stressed the number of affected students are lesser than being painted by the students. It hinted that it has risen up to the occasion to ensure that its graduates are mobilised for this year NYSC programme.
Defending the university authorities, KWASU Spokesperson, Dr. Saeeda Aliyu said that the university is working to resolve the issue.
“I can authoritatively say that as at last week, my vice chancellor, registrar and admission officer were in Abuja’s JAMB office to sort out the matter. When they got to Abuja, JAMB informed them that it has been rectifying the mistakes. KWASU has been doing the same. The number of affected students keep reducing.
“The university is working with each of the affected student that still has the problem with regularisation. JAMB keeps clearing every student that supplied adequate information.
“If the students give contradictory information to JAMB and the university, the computer will reject it and we will continue with the circle but the students will heap the blame on the university.”
Continuing, Dr. Aliyu added: “Just last week, the vice chancellor deployed the registrar and the admission officer to JAMB office in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. It is a frustrating process when we are deploying personnel and resources to sort things out and the students are not giving us accurate information.
“This is something dear to the VC’s heart and he is very worried that the issue is persisting. These are issues holding the students back.
“The affected students did not finish their regularisation before they graduated from the university. The onus is on the students that all documents are updated into JAMB’s CAS before graduation.
About three months ago, some 2019 graduates of the school took to the social media to bemoan the situation. They said they were yet to get admission verification on their portal even after submitting indemnity forms.
Some said either JAMB or the school separately offered admission to them, which ought to be the two concurrently.
Those affected gained admission through Direct Entry (DE) and Institute of Distance and E-learning (IDEL). They said this had been on since 2019, with over 400 students unable to go for the mandatory one year service.
Environmental Health Sciences, Accounting, English Studies, Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences are some of the departments affected. They lamented their inability to secure employment after school because of not being in possession of the NYSC certificate. They said they have been at home doing nothing, battling depression, with parents doubting the authenticity of their results. Unfortunately, their dreams seem to be on hold.
From interaction with them, there is an underlying tone of resentment, mainly on the inability to secure a job after graduation.
But after a peaceful protest by some students appealing to the state government and the school for a swift action on the regularisation, which took place on March 29, this year, the management last month resolved the issue of JAMB regularisation for Medical Laboratory Science graduates as well as the final year students of Faculty of Law.
The then Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr. Alabi Afeez Abolore, assured stakeholders and graduates that they would be mobilised for the remaining NYSC batches this year, while the students of Faculty of Law would be enlisted for the Nigerian Law School.
“Please forgive our excesses during this time too. We understand that all hands are on deck to get us all mobilised as soon as possible,” he said.
Graduates: our pains
A graduate, who simply identified himself as Babatunde, countered the notion that the school had resolved the regularisation issue. He noted that the school only resolved Medical Laboratory Science (MLC) and Law students’ case, leaving other departments unattended to.
“This issue of regularisation has affected many of us for so long. For some of us, it’s been over a year and others, over six months or two years. This issue is not only affecting MLC students alone like the school is trying to paint to the public. It also affects other students across various departments, especially environmental health sciences, accounting, mass communication, public health, political science etc.
“Students that are mostly affected are CEERMS, DE and IDEAL students. In CEERMS, not even one of us has been regularised. I have travelled more than five times from Port Harcourt to Kwara State and recently I had an accident, which almost made me lose a leg, on my way back from Kwara just because of this regularisation issue.
“We have cried to different people, including the Commissioner for Tertiary Education. We even solicited for the help of various social media influencers, contacted the late Vice Chancellor and the Registrar on several occasions, but nothing happened. All we get is empty promise.
“We have been writing down our names since 2021 alongside re-submitting indemnity form from JAMB office to school.
“Most of us have graduated for more than a year now and yet to serve. Depression, confusion and frustration have been the order of the day since we graduated from KWASU. ‘’Nobody believed we went to school, not even our parents. First class and second class have been dormant in our file. We are pleading for the attention of important stakeholders to look into this,” he lamented.
Another graduate noted that some of them have not finalised the issue of regularisation, owing to the fact that their names were not uploaded yet, while some were through with regularisation but were not offered admission.
Mimah said: “I did regularisation since last year but I have not been offered admission on my portal. I can’t count how many times I have submitted my indemnity form and written down my name at contact office, yet nothing was done. They keep telling us lies every time.”
For Queen, who left school in 2020, she kept receiving countless excuses from JAMB and the school.
Afolabi Akin is frustrated and depressed having lost about eight job opportunities because of the inability to get NYSC certificate
“I have lost over eight job opportunities because of not having NYSC certificate.
“Some of us left school since 2019, but could not go for service because of regularisation. I am depressed. My parents are already doubting the certificate I brought home, saying it’s fake,” he said.
Another graduate, who pleaded anonymity, said: “It is not only KWASU graduands that are having this issue. Other schools are also having this issue with JAMB. But their schools have rectified it for them, except KWASU.”
He, however, urged the management to call the affected persons together and have the issue resolved.
JAMB not at fault
A JAMB source, who doesn’t want his name in print, said: “JAMB has nothing to do with this. The pressure should be on the school.”
