Merit Must Prevail, JAMB Warns Tertiary Institutions
By MELVIN KOFFA
Accountability and Public Confidence Emphasis
THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has directed tertiary institutions found guilty of flawed admission practices to immediately reverse such admissions, reaffirming its stance that merit and ranking must guide the selection process.
The Board disclosed in its weekly bulletin released on Monday that it uncovered cases where candidates with higher rankings were reportedly bypassed in favour of lower-ranked applicants, a practice it described as unacceptable.
JAMB said it had cautioned the institutions involved and ordered the immediate correction of the affected admissions, warning that adherence to established guidelines is not optional.
It reiterated that the admission process operates under a three-tier framework of Merit, Catchment Area and Educationally Less Developed States, but emphasised that ranking remains the determining factor at every level.
The Board also addressed a complaint by a candidate who accused the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, of denying her admission unfairly. JAMB said its investigation showed that the candidate did not rank high enough, as several better-ranked applicants were admitted ahead of her.
While acknowledging that some institutions breached admission rules, JAMB clarified that the complainant was not among those affected and urged candidates to avoid spreading unverified claims.
Reaffirming its commitment to equity, the Board said it would continue to ensure that no lower-ranked candidate displaces a higher-ranked one in the admission process.
