Pls Check Them! ASUU asks FG to probe JAMB’s expected N1bn scratch card income

Ibadan—ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan
Chapter has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe alleged over
N1billion that will be generated from sale of scratch cards to candidates
seeking admission into tertiary institutions across the country.
While condemning the new policy imposed on candidates by the Joint
Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, the academic union claimed the
scratch card is now being sold for N1,500 to each candidate seeking
admission.
To the academic union which spoke through its Chairman, Professor Olusegun
Ajiboye, the policy would be counter-productive, noting that it has made
admission process chaotic and exposed candidates to fraudsters.
It insisted that JAMB should respect candidates' preferences and choices for
tertiary institutions and consider security of lives of candidates, cost,
proximity, quality, and rights of the Nigerian child in arriving at any policy.
ASUU further described the policy as exploitative which allegedly amounted to
abuse of the rights of the candidates.
It alleged that Professor Dibu Ojerinde, who oversees the affairs of the board
was insensitive to the plights of the Nigerian masses with parents not paid for
months by some governors but are now being forced to pay N1, 000 to know
where their wards are reassigned against their choices.
Reacting to the allegations, the board through its Head of Media, Dr. Fabian
Benjamin, denied sale of scratch cards saying the internet access is free to all
candidates.
The Board explained "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 benchmark to set the tone for 2015
admission exercise."
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 candidates to choose from a pool of candidates desirous of tertiary
education".
"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. Provided thes e cut off marks are uniformly
applied to all candidates based on existing admission criteria by proprietors of
these institutions".
"Universities are centres of excellence anywhere 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. "