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JAMB Warns Parents Against False Allegations Over Admission Denials

Published

2 months ago

Feb 9, 2025.

JAMB warns parents against baseless allegations over admission denials.
Investigations reveal candidates often fail to meet cut-off marks.
Board reaffirms fair process, warns against misuse of special categories.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has cautioned parents against making baseless accusations against universities over the alleged unjust denial of admission to their children.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the advisory, issued on Sunday through a statement by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, followed a series of complaints from parents, including a recent case involving Mr. Godwin Nsan, who accused the University of Calabar of unfairly rejecting his son’s application.

Clarifying the matter, JAMB explained that the candidate in question scored 201 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and had an aggregate score of 34%, which fell below the university’s required cut-off marks—55% for Merit, 35% for Catchment, and 35% for Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS).

“He had unduly castigated the university, but when he finally provided the required details, it became clear that his child did not meet the admission criteria,” Benjamin stated.

Similarly, a senior public figure accused Modibbo Adama University, Yola, of admission irregularities. However, JAMB’s investigation revealed that the claims were unfounded.

In another case, JAMB responded to a complaint from a father who claimed that his son, despite scoring 345 in UTME, was unfairly denied admission by the University of Jos. Upon inviting the father and son to JAMB headquarters, it was discovered that the candidate ranked 86th, while only 68 candidates could be admitted on merit.

“It is essential to note that in some universities, a score of 345 might rank a candidate as low as 300, depending on the institution’s subscription capacity,” Benjamin explained. The father later withdrew his claims and apologized after understanding the ranking system.

JAMB also raised concerns over the misuse of the “exceptionally brilliant window” introduced for candidates under 16 years old. The Board noted that an unrealistic number of candidates had been registered under this category, contrary to global standards where only a select few qualify.

Furthermore, JAMB reaffirmed its commitment to a fair and transparent admission process, revealing that a senior university official is currently being prosecuted for admission fraud, while four others are under investigation.

“We urge parents to refrain from jumping to conclusions without considering the performance of other candidates. The UTME serves as a ranking examination, determining a candidate’s position within a cohort for the limited available spaces in our nation’s tertiary institutions,” Benjamin stated.