Alleged attempts by authorities of the University of
Lagos, UNILAG, Akoka, and the Joint Admissions
Matriculation Board, JAMB, to change the official cut-off
point of JAMB from between 180 and 200 to 250 was
yesterday greeted with protests by some candidates billed to
participate in the school’s 2015/2016 post-Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination (post-UTME).
According to UNILAG management, registration for the
screening will hold between July 21 and August 7, even as
the screening test will hold between August 12 and 13.
Vanguard gathered that some candidates who were
accompanied to the university to register for the screening,
were shocked to learn that the cut-off point usually placed at
200 over the years was increased to 250.
This irked the aggrieved candidates and their parents as they
embarked on a peaceful protest in front of the university’s
main gate.
The protesters were seen carrying placards with various
inscriptions such as “Go back to the JAMB 180 cut-off mark,”
“We insist that the 250 cut-off mark is unacceptable,” “Our
children must not be disqualified from participating in the
post-UTME screening,” among others.
However, the registrar of UNILAG, Dr Taiwo Ipaye, said that
of the 32,000 candidates that applied for admission into the
university, only 9,000 were eligible for screening.
Some parents who brought their wards to the campus for
the post-UTME registration, expressed disappointment over
their children’s exclusion from JAMB’s list of shortlisted
candidates.
Vanguard gathered that the decision to increase the cut-off
point to 250, especially in federal universities, considered as
most sought after by candidates, was to reduce the army of
candidates who chose them as their most preferred
institution during the last UTME screening test.
Aside from UNILAG, other federal universities said to have
increased their cut-off point from 200 to 250 are Obafemi
Awolowo University, OAU, Ife, Osun State, University of
Ibadan, UI, Oyo State, University of Illorin, UNILORIN, Kwara
State, and University of Nigeria, UNN, Nsukka, Enugu State.
But when contacted by Vanguard, Vice Chancellor, UI,
Professor Isaac Adewole, said: “Our JAMB cut-off point to
qualify candidates for post-UTME in University of Ibadan is
still 200. We will use that in conjunction with the post-UTME
scores of candidates to give them admission into our
school.”
Reacting, one of the parents, Dr. Ben Emone, expressed
dissatisfaction at the sudden change in procedure by the
university and JAMB, noting that though his son made
UNILAG his first choice, and scored 260 in the UTME, he
noted that the tradition of the university had been to peg its
cut-off mark at 200..
Lagos, UNILAG, Akoka, and the Joint Admissions
Matriculation Board, JAMB, to change the official cut-off
point of JAMB from between 180 and 200 to 250 was
yesterday greeted with protests by some candidates billed to
participate in the school’s 2015/2016 post-Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination (post-UTME).
According to UNILAG management, registration for the
screening will hold between July 21 and August 7, even as
the screening test will hold between August 12 and 13.
Vanguard gathered that some candidates who were
accompanied to the university to register for the screening,
were shocked to learn that the cut-off point usually placed at
200 over the years was increased to 250.
This irked the aggrieved candidates and their parents as they
embarked on a peaceful protest in front of the university’s
main gate.
The protesters were seen carrying placards with various
inscriptions such as “Go back to the JAMB 180 cut-off mark,”
“We insist that the 250 cut-off mark is unacceptable,” “Our
children must not be disqualified from participating in the
post-UTME screening,” among others.
However, the registrar of UNILAG, Dr Taiwo Ipaye, said that
of the 32,000 candidates that applied for admission into the
university, only 9,000 were eligible for screening.
Some parents who brought their wards to the campus for
the post-UTME registration, expressed disappointment over
their children’s exclusion from JAMB’s list of shortlisted
candidates.
Vanguard gathered that the decision to increase the cut-off
point to 250, especially in federal universities, considered as
most sought after by candidates, was to reduce the army of
candidates who chose them as their most preferred
institution during the last UTME screening test.
Aside from UNILAG, other federal universities said to have
increased their cut-off point from 200 to 250 are Obafemi
Awolowo University, OAU, Ife, Osun State, University of
Ibadan, UI, Oyo State, University of Illorin, UNILORIN, Kwara
State, and University of Nigeria, UNN, Nsukka, Enugu State.
But when contacted by Vanguard, Vice Chancellor, UI,
Professor Isaac Adewole, said: “Our JAMB cut-off point to
qualify candidates for post-UTME in University of Ibadan is
still 200. We will use that in conjunction with the post-UTME
scores of candidates to give them admission into our
school.”
Reacting, one of the parents, Dr. Ben Emone, expressed
dissatisfaction at the sudden change in procedure by the
university and JAMB, noting that though his son made
UNILAG his first choice, and scored 260 in the UTME, he
noted that the tradition of the university had been to peg its
cut-off mark at 200..
