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How Leaked Memo Exposed Trends In Securing Admission Into Varsities

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“My son registered and wrote the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) three times before he was able to secure admission into the university to study,” said Mr Ifeanyi Ozoemena.

At each sitting, Ifeanyi’s son scored above 200 marks but failed to secure admission to study his desired course, Computer Science, at one of the universities in South-West Nigeria.

He said it was after a friend introduced him to a staff of the university after his son wrote the third entrance exam that he secured admission.

Thus, gaining admission to most public universities is not just about scoring points, but also about who you know to help you.

Another parent, Eucharia Azu, said her son also missed securing admission with his mates despite scoring higher than the cut-off mark set by the university for the course he applied to study.

She said the course he was seeking admission to study was highly sought after, making it more ‘about who you know’.

Mrs Azu said some people get admission based on merit with the reforms at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), but “You need people who can push for you and that gives you a level of assurance that someone is there to ensure your child is not passed by.”

She bemoaned the relegation of merit while “money buys for you everything.”

Another parent said after he tried to use some people in the education sector to influence his son’s admission he opted to pay for it.

“It was the only option I had after he could not secure admission the previous year and I did not want him to remain at home, “ he said

Admission into tertiary institutions, especially universities, has over time become difficult because of the challenge of access.

In his presentation on the 2023 Admission Exercise, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, said from over 1,635,881 applications for UTME and Direct Entry, only 639,263 candidates were admitted into tertiary institutions across the country.

This was in July 2024. The limited space and capacity of the universities to absorb qualified candidates to study has pushed many desperate parents into paying to secure admission for their children, including politicians who use their influence to peddle slots for their preferred candidates.

Meanwhile, a memo from a senator to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja seeking admission for students was leaked and it went viral generating divergent views online.

In the leaked memo, the senator appealed to the university leadership to grant admission to four students to pursue various courses including Medicine, Public Administration, Computer Science and Law in the school.

The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scores as contained in the letter had 264 as the highest to study Law, followed by 205, also applying for Law, 181 for Computer Science, 191 for Public Administration, and 222 for Medicine and Surgery.

Reacting to the incident, an X user, @Govern_mend said, “Nigerian senator writes to seek university admission for constituents,” asking, “Does a public office holder need to write a letter to a school for any student to be admitted?”

Another wrote: “This is why many do not get admission into some universities.”

This, however, is not new as a former vice chancellor had told Daily Trust that the requests he gets from lawmakers and people in power were usually high and made the admission process difficult for them.

The admission rate in Nigerian universities is placed at about less than 40 percent of the total number of applicants, leaving the rest to scramble for another chance the following year, which many are not likely to get.

This has left parents and applicants to universities across the country disappointed and disillusioned and a few others going to private institutions.

Sources from one of the universities in the North, however, told Daily Trust that demand for admission by politicians doesn’t translate to automatic admission for the candidates.

“If you don’t have up to the required cut-off mark on your JAMB (score), you don’t get admitted here,” a source said.

“I can tell you that because there’s the National University Commission (NUC) accreditation, JAMB is watching. We don’t take anybody with less than 180. And this place is very competitive.”

Another source from the University of Abuja denied pressure from politicians for admission saying, “There’s no harm in trying to use their power; trying to use their office. They don’t get it. JAMB will not allow that.”

Prof. Ugo Sylvester, a lecturer at the University of Abuja and chairman of the institution’s Academic Staff Union, while speaking on politicians’ perceived interference in admissions, said it was commonplace for parents or anyone else to seek help where they think they could get it.

He said the leaked memo wasn’t a directive but an appeal thus it was not mandatory to be acted upon as being perceived.

 

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Education

UNIZIK Lecturer loses life during a tragic atta3k by U G M In Anambra

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4 days ago

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December 18, 2024

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A senior lecturer with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Dr. Osita Chinedu has been k+lled by a gang of g¥nmen.

Dr. Chinedu who hails from Nteje in Oyi local government area of Anambra State, according to an eyewitness, was sh+t dead around the High Tension area in Awka by h+odlums who trailed him to the area at about 8 pm on Monday, December 16, 2024.

The eyewitness stated that the lecturer was driving in his Toyota Corolla when the h+odlums, who were also driving in another Toyota Corolla blocked his car, jumped out of their car and went straight for him.

The source said that immediately the lecturer came out from his car to query the reason for the blockage, one of the assailants pulled out a g¥n, and fired twice, sh+ttering his head.

“Those thieves went into his car, ran the car over him before driving away with his Toyota Corolla and their own too,” the eyewitness narrated.

According to Leadership, while those people were putting the remains of the lecturer in the boot of their vehicle, a team of policemen from the Central Police Station (CPS), Awka, arrived.

The police insisted that the remains of the late lecturer be handed over to them, but his people appealed to the police to leave the body of the sl+in lecturer for them.

Spokesperson of the Anambra police command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga in a statement appealed to the management of the institution, eyewitnesses and any other member of the public who might have any information that could help to arrest the k+llers to assist with information.

“The murderers made away with his car, a Toyota Corolla 2006 model, Ash colour with an Enugu Plate number, UWN 158 AS.

 

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Education

Delta wins $400,000 Bill and Melinda Gates primary health award

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1 week ago

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December 13, 2024

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Delta State Government Thursday received $400,000 (four hundred thousand United States dollars) from the Primary Healthcare Leadership challenge organized by the Nigerian Governors forum in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for outstanding performance in primary health care management.

The award, which was organized by the Nigerian Governors Forum NGF, Federal Ministry of Health. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and UNICEF was in recognition of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s initiative in the health sector for the past one year in line with the MORE agenda of his administration.

Nigeria’s Vice President, Alhaji Kashim Shettima and chairman of the Governors Forum, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, who is also Governor of Kwara State, were present during the handover of the prize and money to Delta State officials.

Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme and Director General of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC), Dr Isaac Akpoveta were on ground to receive the award on behalf of Governor Oborevwori.

The award, started in 2019, was to shore up performance at the primary health care level so as to make health more accessible to people at the grassroots.

It is the first time since the inception of the awards that Delta will be considered for mention in any category of recognition. It has never won any prize money.

Speaking after collecting the award on behalf of Governor Oborevwori, Dr Onojaeme said that the award was proof that the administration’s MORE agenda was on course and yielding positive results.

He disclosed that Governor Oborevwori’s determination and commitment to revamp the health sector was not in doubt, adding that the recent approval for the renovation of over 150 primary health care centers (PHCs) must have been pivotal to receiving the award.

Delta State was considered for award after a visit of the technical committee set up to assess the state of PHCs in all 36 states and Abuja, the Federal Capital.

 


The committee comprised of representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, World Health Organisation (WHO), World Bank, United Nations Food Programme (UNFPA), among others.

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Education

NYSC DG Leads Search For Missing Corps Member

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1 week ago

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December 13, 2024

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Ekwutosblog has gathered that Director-General of National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brigadier General YD Ahmed, has called for collective efforts in the search for Yahaya Farouk, a corps member, who went missing in Ikuru Town, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The NYSC chief, during his visit to the community, yesterday, urged residents, including youths and elders, to support security agencies in locating the missing corps member.

Ahmed also inspected the scene of the incident and emphasized the shared responsibility of host communities to ensure the safety and welfare of corps members serving in their domains.

He reiterated his administration’s dedication to advocate better security measures for all NYSC participants across the country.

He said: “The essence of my coming is to appeal to assist us in getting the corps member, who came for national service from another state.

“My administration will continue to appeal for adequate security and welfare of Corps members at all times. It is also the responsibility of residents of Corps members’ host communities to provide security and welfare package for corps members serving in their domain.”

At a meeting held during the visit, the Youth President, Etete Jerb Anthony, and the Ward Secretary, Paul Friday, disclosed that the community had made significant efforts to locate Farouk, who disappeared while at a Chinese mining company within the area.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continue search and rescue operations.

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