Post-Utme - University Senate Should Set Standard for Admission, Says Abu VC

Vice-Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU)
Zaria Prof. Ibrahim Garba says the Senate of
universities in the country should be responsible for
setting standards for admission into their institutions.
Garba stated this in a forum in Abuja.
The vice-chancellor faulted the situation where the
Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB)
and the Ministry of Education set standards for
admission into the university.
“Universities have autonomy by law; each university
should set its criteria for taking students.
“But of course JAMB and the ministry are saying that
because it is our country, we must have a policy that
regulates, so that we have a good balance but not on
quality.
“A university senate is supposed to set standard for
accepting students that it takes and train and
graduate.
“We are hoping that very soon we will resolve this
matter because it is getting more and more
embarrassing.

“Even the state universities have told Federal
Government that education is in the concurrent list in
the constitution.
“The Federal Government has no control and should
not have control over a state university; they have a
council appointed by the governor.
“They can only fulfil NUC’s standard requirements, but
not admission quota.”
He said the minister’s directive leading up to the
scrapping of post-Unified Matriculation Examination
(post -UTME) had created an impasse in universities
as they were yet to begin admissions.
According to him, universities cannot take the
products of JAMB without further testing them.
The vice-chancellor said that universities, being the
recipients of the candidates, should be able to select
those they could train.
“We found it as universities that post-UTME tests are
the best to get the best.

“JAMB is only trying to improve, but still not perfect to
a point that we can trust.
“Post-UTME has a history; even when it started, JAMB
encouraged us to do it.
“JAMB is improving, but it is not yet there because
every year we receive these products and we see
what they are,” he said.
He said that in 2016, ABU had 49,000 applicants, who
scored above 180 points while its admission capacity
was 6,500.
He stated in view of this scenario, it is not possible for
the university to admit students without conducting
post-UTME to cut down the number.
Garba said that lining up candidates to screen their
papers was cumbersome, outdated, and expensive and
could create room for sentiments.