The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has comme out in a strong opposition to the lowering of cut off marks by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, even as a University has gone ahead to set its cut off mark at 170.
JAMB new national cut off point for the universities is set at 12o, which is seen by many as a huge retrogressive step on the country’s already eroded standard in public universities.
NANS said it would pressure for the scrapping of JAMB if it failed to reverse the low cut off points for admission into universities and polytechnics.
NANS National Public Relations Officer Bestman Okereafor made this known in statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Saturday.
He said that if the demand of the association, the most important stakeholder in the education sector was not met in reasonable time, it would call for the scrapping of JAMB.
“Conclusively NANS will not hesitate to call for the scrapping of JAMB if the decision is not withdrawn without further delay.
“The national leadership of the apex students governing body, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), frowned at the drastic reduction of the JAMB unified cut off mark to 120, for admission into Nigeria universities.
“NANS sees this as a means of further degrading the level of the already falling and failing academic performance and excellence in Nigeria institutions.
“In lieu of this, NANS under the able leadership of the proactive NANS President, Comrade Aruna Kadiri, is calling on JAMB to reverse this inimical act without further delay or face the anger of Nigerian students,’’ Okereafor said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that JAMB after its Unified Matriculation Examination met with stakeholders, it fixed 120 and 100 as cut-off points for admission into universities and polytechnics in the country. (NAN)
Meanwhile, The Federal University in Gusau (FUGUS) has set 170 as cut-off mark for the 2017/2018 admission into the institution, against the minimum 120 set by JAMB.
The Information Officer of the University, Malam Umar Usman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau on Saturday that the university’s management took the decision.
He said the cut-off mark was set at after getting statistic show that most of the candidates who applied for admission into the university scored 120 and above in their JAMB exams.
He said the university was only given a quota to admit 1,500 students through JAMB and Direct Entry for the coming academic session.
According to him, over 5,000 applicants applied for admission into the university.
“If we will stick to the 120 minimum cut off marks given by the JAMB, majority of applicants who are going to attend the University’s aptitude test for the admission will not get it.
“We decided to minimize the difficulty by raising our points to 170 so that most of those that will pay for post the UTME in the university will get the admission,’’ he said.
He noted that the university also run Pre-degree programme in Science, Art and Social Science with candidates who would also be considered for admission to make up for 1, 500 students required for the session.
Usman said the university is soliciting more assistance from well-to-do individuals and private organisations to provide more infrastructures that would make JAMB increase the quota given to the institution.
He said that for the admission quota to be increased there should be adequate infrastructures and facilities in place.
