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Tag: UNILAG

  • Disquiet in UNILAG over noise policy

    Disquiet in UNILAG over noise policy

    There has been an outburst of anger by students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) over the introduction of a policy to reduce noise pollution on the campus. Students believe the policy attacks freedom of religion, but the management says there is no cause for alarm. KAWTHAR BABATUNDE (300-Level Petroleum and Gas Engineering) and CHIMA AZUBUIKE (400-Level Philosophy) report.

    Its location in the commercial nerve-centre of the country makes the University of Lagos (UNILAG) prone to noise. Apart from the constant noise from the engines of countless vehicles that ply the campus, extracurricular activities have also become a source of disturbance in the school. But, the management does not want noise on its campus.

    This led to the introduction of a policy by the authorities to reduce noise. On July 8, the school issued a directive banning noisy activities on the campus. The order was contained in a memo, a copy of which was sent to the Students Union Government (SUG). It restricts social activities to specific areas on the campus, but the decision seems to be generating concerns among students’ groups.

    According to the memo, all religious activities are, henceforth, prohibited in academic areas, and such activities must be confined to the premises of the mosque and church.

    •The university Central Mosque
    •The university Central Mosque

    The content of the memo has generated reactions, especially from religious bodies. Some Muslim and Christian students believe the ‘no-noise policy’ is a direct clampdown on their activities. Some students, however, see it as a way of restructuring and maintaining orderliness on the campus.

    A 500-Level Computer Engineering student, who simply gave his name as Mujidah, said: “I doubt if the directive would be effective, but I honestly think it would restore order in the school. It is improper to hold noisy activities just anywhere on campus.”

    Before the management’s memo, religious activities were held at every available place in the academic area. Places, such as Amphi-theatre, SUG block and the main auditorium extension used to be busy with fellowships. Open places at faculties of Science, Social Sciences and Business Administration. The directive bars these activities.

    Registering its opposition to the policy, Michael  Liyansan, a 500-Level Engineering student and University Joint Christian Fellowship (UJCF) leader, enjoined members to embark on a seven-day fasting and prayer, saying “the Kingdom of God must reign in UNILAG”.

    The body, which has about 50 fellowship groups within its fold, said it would be impossible for all fellowships with members from various denominations to worship at the same place.

    Christian students wondered why the school registered many fellowships if it would not allow them to worship. They said the directive was an attack on religious freedom. They alleged that the policy was a desperate attempt to islamise the school, accusing the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Rahamon Bello, and the SUG president, Abiodun Martins, as masterminds.

    “This is Nigeria where nobody cares about noise. So, I think there must be an underlying motive to the policy,” says Mayowa, a 300-Level student.

    Reacting, Martins said there was no truth in the allegation that the policy was to islamise the school, stressing that the SUG was not consulted before the management took the decision.

    According to him, the no-noise policy predated the inauguration of the union leaders last year, the SUG only helped to create awareness about it among students.

    A student, who identified himself as John, said he had embarked on seven days fasting and payers to make the management change the decision. He said: “It is wrong for anyone to think that the SUG knew about the management’s decision. Some of the provisions have been found shocking, because all fellowships cannot hold their programmes in the chapels. It is not spacious enough.”

    A 300-Level Petroleum and Gas Engineering student, who gave her name as Mary, said the management should reconsider its decision since the policy was introduced in the interest of students, who are now opposed to it.

    She said: “They should put the interest of the student at heart and encourage them to go about their religious activities without disturbing others. This no-noise policy won’t work.”

    Although leaders of the institution’s chapter of Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) are yet to issue a statement on the development, it appears their silence is not an indication that they agree with the policy.

    When contacted, the MSSN Amir, Abdulrashid Adeoye, a 400-Level Integrated Science Education student, said the body had received no official letter from the management on the policy, but said the Muslim students would meet with the Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA), Prof Tunde Babawale, over the matter.

    Abdulrashid said: “Several activities of MSSN will be affected by the policy, but as a students’ body, we will always support the management’s good decision. It is not good to have noise in academic environment. The school management should have officially informed all religious bodies on campus, because we are mostly affected.”

    He doubted if there would be full compliance with the policy.

    Meanwhile, the SUG parliament clerk, Adeyanju Adeonipekun, said there would be an emergency sitting of students’ representatives and those of religious groups to discuss the practicability of the policy.

    At the time of this report, the meeting had not taken place. However, some members of the union met with the DSA to state students’ position on the matter.

    Mustapha Tijani, the Deputy Speaker of the union, said students’ opinions should have been sought before the decision was reached.

    The Deputy Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr Karo Ogbinaka, dismissed insinuations that the policy was targeted at religious bodies. Instead, the school was following the directive of teh National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Government Visitation Panel, which advised the management to reduce the level of noise in academic areas in line with best practice.

    Ogbinaka also said there was no truth in the rumour that the policy would islamise the school. He said: “Granted, the Vice-Chancellor is a Muslim, but there are more Christian members in the top management team. How possible is it for anyone to place one religion above the other?”

  • Still on the UNILAG post-UTME conundrum

    PROFESSOR Dibu Ojerinde is, no doubt, one of the most popular men in Nigeria at the moment. He is the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). He holds the fate of over 1.4 million candidates who sat for the 2015/2016 JAMB examination in his hands, and that is a big deal.

    For many students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), going to school the past two days has been very hectic. Parents, well-wishers and candidates have been flooding the school gate and amphitheatre premises to protest the new policy of being sent to other schools for the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Needless to say, this has helped in intensifying the traffic at the school gate.

    I read somewhere that the University of Lagos is the 5th most sought-after university this year with over 62,472 candidates that sat for this year’s UTME examination. Going by unofficial statistics, about 70 per cent of the candidates got 180 and 200 as their score and that is roughly about 43,730 candidates clamouring to write the post-UTME exams. This is still a far cry compared to the about 6,500 candidates UNILAG will eventually get to admit later this year. I cannot even begin to imagine the situation at the University of Ilorin, which has over 107,488 applicants.

    I really do not know why JAMB didn’t communicate all these changes to the applicants before now. Many had already gone ahead to buy change of course forms and now they have to deal with this too. It makes one wonder if all these decisions are being made and implemented spontaneously. The importance of communication cannot be overemphasized. These changes ought to have been communicated to these candidates as soon as they were made, along with other vital information. There was so much confusion among the candidates who weren’t shortlisted for the post-UTME exercise in UNILAG and there is no way for them to know the new school their details have been sent to.

    Some conspiracy theories have also been making the rounds of  Ojerinde having had secret meetings with the owners of some private schools in Nigeria who have solicited for more students which led him to think up the new policy of sending these ‘unfortunate’ candidates to private schools for their post-UTME exams. There’s no evidence to confirm this suggestion but this wouldn’t necessarily be a bad idea if only the tuition fees of these schools were actually affordable. But that’s obviously not the case. The average Nigerian parent would be expected to sell their body parts and still take bank loans to afford it.

    I lost faith in JAMB after my third or fourth attempt at gaining admission and failing yet again. I had to resort to taking direct entry classes and exams to finally gain my admission. It is apparently not an easy route, but it’s a much healthier method of getting admitted into the university of first choice without partaking in all the stress and confusion that come from writing UTME examinations.

     

  • JAMB: 32,000 candidates to write UNILAG post-UTME

    JAMB: 32,000 candidates to write UNILAG post-UTME

    More than 32,000 candidates are expected to write the 2015 post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) into the University of Lagos, the institution’s Deputy Registrar (Information), Mr. Olagoke Oke, said yesterday.

    The examination is scheduled to hold from Aug. 12 to Aug. 14.

    The figure is almost four times the 9,000 that was initially allocated to the institution by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

    The board and some public universities had agreed to raise the bar of the cut-off marks of their institutions from 200 to 250 for the various courses.

    The development sparked an outrage across the country with parents and other stakeholders, asking the federal government to intervene.

    The decision was later reversed after consultations between the Prof. Dibu Ojerinde-led JAMB and the federal government.

    “All logistics toward a smooth conduct of this examination are fully in place. We have always been ready for situations like this and have always got it right,” Oke told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    “Before now, we were hoping to put logistics in place for the initial 9,000 candidates, but with the reversal of the decision, we now have to re-adjust and I want to say that we are fully prepared.

    “All our computers and its accessories, the backups, alternative power supply as well as adequate personnel that will conduct the examination are all ready.”

    The deputy registrar said the university was compelled to extend the exercise to three days because of the large number of candidates seeking admission into the institution.

    He, however, advised candidates to arrive early at the examination centres for a hitch-free exercise.

  • UBA resuscitates professorial chair in UNILAG

    The United Bank for Africa, yesterday resuscitated its professorial chair of finance at University of Lagos. The bank presented a cheque of N52, 904, 000  to the institution for the purpose.

    The event which was attended by  top executive members of the bank and the institution was held at the Senate Building of the institution.

    The cheque was presented by the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mr Phillips Oduoza to  Prof Rahamon Bello, the Vice Chancellor of the institution.

    Delivering his address,  the Vice Chancellor said: “ Today’s event is just a confirmation and demonstration of the robust relationship that exists between UBA and the University of Lagos. I am particularly grateful to the present management of UBA  under the visionary leadership of Mr Phillips Oduoaza for resuscitating the UBA Chair at the university, despite the economic, meltdown in the country.

    “It is noteworthy to mention here today that the first financial institution to show its presence on campus and to support academic excellence in the university was UBA.  In addition to this,  when the University Council approved the upward review of academic prizes, UBA was one of the first institutions to comply by upgrading the value of two prizes endowed from N1,000 to N50, 000 cash award each to the best graduating students in the Department of Finance and Accounting inn perpetuity, for which management, staff and students of the university are extremely grateful. “

    Speaking, Mr Oduoza said resuscitating the UBA Chair in the institution is another milestone for the bank, adding: “ We have been carrying out different projects  in various higher institutions across the country to improve the learning environment for the students.  We decided to jump start this because the educational institutions in the country are not well funded. And we all know finance is key to development.

     “We are encouraged by the positive feedback we have been getting from  our beneficiaries.  We therefore call on other banks and other privileged organisations to join us in supporting research works in our institutions to improve the qualities of graduates being produced. The government can’t do it alone, we enjoin other private bodies to support the efforts of the government.“

  • ‘Faulty recruitment, others affecting teacher training’

    ‘Faulty recruitment, others affecting teacher training’

    The Acting Vice-Chancellor of Adeyemi Federal University of Education (AFUED), formerly Adeyemi College of Education (ACE),Prof Olukoya Ogen, has identified faulty recruitment of teachers and negative perception of the teaching profession as the problems mitigating against teacher education in Nigeria.

    Other factors, Ogen said, were inadequate funding and poor deployment of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), lack of professionalism caused by government neglect and inadequate exposure on the part of staff with weak research base.

    He said this at the AOCOED 35th convocation, where he was the guest speaker.

    Speaking on the theme: The Nigerian college of education system and the quest for aqality,excellence and relevance, the former provost said for quality to be ensured in the preparation and training of teachers, colleges of education should be well-funded like universities and polytechnics, professionalism should be ensured and ICT fully deployed.

    His words: “The way society perceives teachers should change as it is only teaching at higher levels of education that is socially acceptable, while those at the foundational levels derided, which is why young people with other alternatives  are averse to the idea of teaching given the poor image of the profession”.

    Ogen continued: “More than 60 per cent of teachers in the education sector are ill-equipped, ill-trained, ill-motivated and unqualified for the system because teacher education is unable to attract the best brains into the system. Students admitted to read education courses are not only of low quality, some are even reluctant students who only enrolled for teacher training because they have no other choice.

    “Recruitment of academic staff into public education institutions at all levels is no longer based on time honoured rigorous process as merit has been jettisoned for other considerations in filling of public offices as departments and faculties no longer have a say in the recruitment of staff as ministries now direct Provost and Rectors to ‘admit or appoint bearer”, he added.

    He called for teachers to be motivated with better pay and improved conditions of service that would not only help retain them but also attract new entrants.

    For colleges of education to remain relevant, Ogen said they must improve on their internally generated revenue, develop an ICT infrastructure robust enough which will incorporate several aspects of e-governance and motivate academic staff and re-orientate them to re-invigorate research.

    On the theme, Bashorun said teacher education in the 21st Century must shift from mere administrative pre-occupation to the promotion of intellectual truth,exposure,interaction and professionalism.

    The chairman of the event and a professor of Early Childhood Education, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Ajike Osanyin, called for change of attitude from teachers, noting that teachers should be proud of themselves.

  • Students, SERAP sue JAMB, UNILAG over cut-off marks

    Students, SERAP sue JAMB, UNILAG over cut-off marks

    Some candidates seeking university admission have sued the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the University of Lagos (UNILAG) at the Federal High Court in Lagos over the new policy on cut-off marks.

    The court on Monday granted their application for a judicial review of the decision to stop them from writing UNILAG’s entrance examination.

    The applicant alleged that JAMB Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, issued a directive stopping them from participating in UNILAG’s post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations scheduled for August 12 and 13.

    They also accused Ojerinde of sending their names to other institutions they did not chose.

    According to them, they scored above JAMB’s 180 cut-off mark, but UNILAG refused to sell its post-UTME forms to them following the alleged directive by Ojerinde to send the names of all candidates with less than 250 marks to other institutions.

    In the ex parte application filed before Justice Mohammed Idris, the applicants prayed for leave to apply for an order of mandamus compelling UNILAG to sell the post-UTME forms to them.

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) also sued JAMB and UNILAG over what it called “outrageous cut-off marks decisions.”

    The organisation is seeking an order stopping JAMB, UNILAG and others from implementing the decision.

    SERAP, on behalf of three applicants affected by the cut-off marks decision, said the provisions of Section 5(1) (c) (iii) of the JAMB Act ensure that the preferences of candidates in terms of the university they choose to attend are sacrosanct.

    The three applicants are Adeola Hammed Ayobami, Abass Ololade and Abass Ajibola.

    The respondents are – JAMB, UNILAG, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education.

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  • UTME: Redistributed candidates list on JAMB website from July 31

    UTME: Redistributed candidates list on JAMB website from July 31

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said that it has redistributed candidates who had cut-off marks less than what their first choice required to other institutions.

    JAMB urged candidates and parents to check the Board’s website from Friday, July 31st, 2015 for their names and institutions they are placed.

    The board said that the policy is meant to ensure that every candidate with a reasonable score of 180 and above is placed somewhere in institutions that may need them.

    According to a statement issued in Abuja by the Head of Media, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB reiterated that the National cut-off marks of 180 for universities and 150 for Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Innovative Enterprise institutions in the 2015 UTME was a bench mark to set the tone for 2015 admission exercise.

    Benjamin said the decision to have a national accepted cut-off mark at policy meeting was to serve as a guide and pruning mechanism to give the tertiary institutions qualitative and manageable candidates to choose from a pool of candidates desirous of tertiary education.

    It reads in part: “However, Universities and other levels of tertiary institutions are at liberty to go higher, but not lower, depending on their peculiarities and the performance of candidates that choose them. Universities are centres of excellence any where in the world and ours should not be an exception. The policy witnessed in University of Lagos is aimed at ensuring that our Universities admit only the top best as done globally.

    “The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board is working round the clock to ensure that Nigerian universities are among the best in Africa and perhaps the world in the next ranking and to also utilize the available spaces and admit more candidates bearing in mind the admission criteria of various needy institution. The Board wishes to state that no candidate would be denied any right to aspire to tertiary education even as it is aware that some universities have their own admission cut-off marks aceptable by the Board for courses they offered. Please be informed that the Board ensures that this institutions apply this cut off marks uniformly across all candidates without discrimination.

    “The decision of the Board on the print-out for this year exercise was done in good faith not to jeopardize the right of candidate due to individual cut-off set by some Nigerian tertiary institution. Those candidates who do not meet the cut-off marks of such institutions will be placed in needy institutions within their geopolitical zone depending on available space in such institutions.

    “The Board’s aim is to accommodate as many candidates as possible instead of just pushing them to schools we know abinitio doesn’t have the carrying capacity to admit all. For instance University of Lagos with a carrying capacity of about 9000, has over 60,000 applying to them. The question is what happens to the over 50,000? We have other institutions like that and what we are doing is to ensure that the balance are also place in other needy institutions.

    “Sequel to this development, the Board has redistributed the other candidates who has cut-off marks less than what their first choice required to needy institutions and urge candidates and parent to check the Board’s website from Friday, 31st July, 2015 for their names and institutions they are placed in.

    “Candidates are to note that the policy is only meant to ensure that every candidate with a reasonable score of 180 and above is placed somewhere in a needy institutions that may need them. Nigerians are also urged to please believe in the Board as continually it strive to give the entire education system the best. We are not comfortable with the large number of candidates that year in year out sit for the Board’s matriculation examination without being admitted. It’s the believe of the Board that this policy will address the shortfall and accommodate more.

  • UNILAG JAMB’s policy meant to help candidates, says Registrar

    UNILAG JAMB’s policy meant to help candidates, says Registrar

    The Registrar/Chief Executive of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Dibu Ojerinde, has reacted to the protest at the University of Lagos by parents and candidates who could not access the university’s admission.

    He explained that the policy introduced by JAMB, for which he has been criticised, “is actually meant to help the candidates not only to get admission but to get it on time.”

    Ojerinde stated that the decision to reallocate candidates who cannot be admitted into their choice institutions because of the high cut-off marks set by the institutions for the various courses to other federal, states and private institutions was actually to help them.

    He said the reallocation was based on the availability of spaces; choice of the course of the candidate; geographical zone of the candidates’ first choice and the performance of the candidates.

    The Registrar pointed out that JAMB had made the situation clear to the institutions during a policy meeting on July 14 with representatives of the federal, state and private universities.

    “By this approach, wastage of high scores will be reduced, the fate of the candidates will be determined on time and yet the interest of their areas of study may be satisfied,” Ojerinde stressed.

    He noted that the decision became imperative because “the big universities are overloaded” while others have spaces that are not filled.

    Expatiating, Ojerinde said:  “Can you imagine 8,000 students seeking admission to study law in a university that will take only 250 candidates for law?

    “The remaining 7,750 candidates will wait endlessly and hopelessly till the end of the admission. Or imagine 7,500 candidates seeking admission to study medicine in a university.

    “Of these 7,500 candidates, 2,000 scored above 250 in the UTME. The university has a carrying capacity of only 150 candidates for medicine.

    “The remaining 7,350 who scored above 200 will be wasted. Particularly, 1,750 candidates who scored above 250 will be wasted while other universities either do not have enough candidates or high scoring candidates.”

    He added that JAMB had discovered that courses like Biological Sciences, Pharmacy, Agricultural Engineering and related courses are, in most cases, without enough candidates in the universities while everyone scampered to study medicine and only a small percentage eventually get admitted.

    Ojerinde indicted some so-called educational consultants, who he accused of having hidden agenda, which are being thwarted by JAMB’s proactive steps.

    He alleged they were behind the protests, declaring “This is a period of change. If they do not change, they will be changed.”

     

  • UNILAG protest: JAMB explains new admission policy

    UNILAG protest: JAMB explains new admission policy

    The Registrar/Chief Executive of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Dibu Ojerinde, has reacted to the protest at the University of Lagos by parents and candidates who could not access the university’s admission.
    According to him, the policy introduced by JAMB, for which he has been criticised, “is actually meant to help the candidates not only to get admission but to get it on time.”
    Ojerinde explained that the decision to reallocate candidates who cannot be admitted into their choice institutions because of the high cut-off marks set by the institutions for the various courses, to other federal, states and private institutions in that order, depending on the availability of spaces; choice of the course of the candidate; geographical zone of the candidates’ first choice and the performance of the candidates, was to help the candidates and reduce the numbers of qualified candidates who miss out on admissions yearly due to limited spaces.
    He noted that JAMB had made the situation clear to the institutions during its policy meeting on 14th July, after it held discussions with the representatives of the federal, state and private universities where the degree of the problems of candidates were presented and solutions were proffered.
    “By this approach, wastage of high scores will be reduced, the fate of the candidates will be determined on time and yet the interest of their areas of study may be satisfied,” Ojerinde stated.
    He explained that the decision became imperative because “the big universities are overloaded” while others have spaces that are not filled.
    “Can you imagine 8,000 students seeking admission to study law in a university that will take only 250 candidates for law? The remaining 7,750 candidates will wait endlessly and hopelessly till the end of the admission. Or imagine 7,500 candidates seeking admission to study medicine in a university. Of these 7,500 candidates, 2,000 scored above 250 in the UTME. The university has a carrying capacity of only 150 candidates for medicine. The remaining 7,350 who scored above 200 will be wasted. Particularly, 1,750 candidates who scored above 250 will be wasted while other universities either do not have enough candidates or high scoring candidates,” Professor Ojerinde further explained.
    He added that JAMB had discovered that courses like Biological Sciences, Pharmacy, Agricultural Engineering and related courses are, in most cases, without enough candidates in the universities while everyone scampered to study medicine and only a small percentage eventually get admitted.
    “We are saying; let’s give them a feel of chance somewhere else that has not gotten enough candidates for law or medicine by sending the names of these high scorers to “needy” universities. In addition, the concept of selection by merit, catchment area and educationally less developed states will be adequately catered for.
    “However, I am not saying that everyone will get admission or even get their original choice of course of study. But it is better than wasting the time, finances, and good scores of these candidates. We need to fill the available spaces as given to us by the regulatory bodies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC); National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
    ” But if a candidate does not want the given opportunity, he can decline the offer and just refuse to take any step,” the JAMB Registrar stated.
    Ojerinde indicted some so-called educational consultants who have hidden agenda, which are being thwarted by JAMB’s proactive steps, as being behind the protests, warning that: “This is a period of CHANGE. If they do not CHANGE they will be CHANGED.”

  • Applicants protest JAMB’s cut off marks at UNILAG

    Applicants protest JAMB’s cut off marks at UNILAG

    Prospective University of Lagos (UNILAG) students protested yesterday during their screening for admission for 2015/2016 session.

    UNILAG’s Registrar Dr Taiwo Ipaye said only 9,000 of the 32,000 applicants were eligible for screening.

    Ipaye said the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) considered a lot of options at its 2015 Combined Policy Meeting held on July 4, as a way out for the candidates.

    “JAMB had during that meeting adopted a policy whereby candidates of universities with surplus applicants for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) are reassigned to other universities with lower number of candidates, than their capacities.

    “This will be beneficial to needy universities; as this will ensure that they will have more candidates to admit.

    “This policy has been implemented with immediate effect and consequently, the eligibility for post- UTME screening in the University of Lagos like other universities in country, has been determined by JAMB.

    “In effect, only candidates, whose names were forwarded to the University of Lagos by JAMB, are eligible for the 2015/2016 post-UTME,’’ she said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of parents, who brought their children for the exercise, expressed disappointments over the applicants’ exclusion from the JAMB’s list of shortlisted candidates.

    A parent, Dr Ben Emone,  told NAN that his son made UNILAG his first choice, and scored 260 marks in the UTME.

    According to him, it has been the tradition of the university to peg its cut-off mark, at least, at 200 for the post-UTME.

    Emone criticised the university and JAMB for the sudden change in procedure, saying:

    “I will not take this whole thing they are trying to explain because my son passed the UTME convincingly. If there was to be any change, we should have been sensitised well ahead of time and not just waking-up one morning to change the rule of the game.All I am saying is that my son must write this post-UTME or nobody will.

    Association of Tutorial School Operators (ATSO) National President Mr Oludotun Sodunke blamed the crisis on the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde.

    He said Ojerinde was insensitive to parents’ plights, adding that the JAMB registrar was wrong to have introduced such last minute decision after pegging the cut-off mark at 180.

    “I think Prof. Ojerinde has some questions to answer on this whole issue. There must be something he is not telling the public. Ojerinde must stop running JAMB as if it is his personal business empire.

    “How can Ojerinde impose such high and unacceptable cutoff marks for five notable public universities in Nigeria under the guise of catchment, to qualify for post-UTME, and you expect us not to protest.

    “The worst case scenario at least ought to have been the normal 200 marks and above, which universities like UNILAG and others were known for.

    “If there must be anything new, it should be introduced next year after due consultations with all critical stakeholders, and the public adequately sensitised.

    “For now, all we want is for all the candidates to be allowed to sit for the post-UTME or we go to court,’’ he said.

    Former Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), UNILAG Chapter, Mr Joseph Adefolalu said JAMB’s action was meant to destabilise the present administration.

    JAMB’s spokesman Fabian Benjamin, described the parents’ agitation was uncalled for.

    According to him, universities are at liberty to go higher than 180, as cut off marks, based on their peculiarities.

    He said, whatever cut-off points they were adopting must be uniformly applied to all candidates.

    “I do not see anything wrong with what UNILAG has done.

    “This is because a time will come when some universities may have to peg their cut-off points at 300 marks, based on performance.

    “Before we send candidates to the universities, we normally ensure that we know their carrying capacities; because we do not want a situation, whereby, they will present more than they can admit.

    “There are private universities and other tertiary institutions that also need candidates, so, we try to distribute evenly,’’ he said.

    Benjamin said JAMB, in its magnanimity, posted students that scored 200 and above to private universities, to prevent them from staying at home for another year.