By Hope Temitope
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has given all tertiary institutions in the country an opportunity to disclose all admissions done outside its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) before 2017, in a month’s time.
This was disclosed at a press briefing in Abuja, on behalf of the board’s registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, on Sunday, by Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Public Communication Advisor for JAMB who said the directive was aimed at enhancing transparency and fairness in the admissions process.
Benjamin highlighted concerns over institutions colluding with candidates to falsify details for illegal admissions; a development he said had led to fraudulent participation in the National Youth Service Corps scheme.
He emphasized that, despite warnings, some institutions continued to admit candidates outside CAPS (Central Admissions Processing System) and seek Condonement of Undisclosed Illegal Institutional Admission (CUIIA).
“The attention of the board has been drawn to the predilection of some institutions to admit candidates outside the approved Central Admissions Processing System platform and process such through the condonement of illegal admissions window to accord legitimacy.
“To close this abused window, the board has decided that all institutions should now (or never) disclose all candidates illegally admitted prior to 2017, whose records are in their system within the next one month, beginning from 1st August 2024.
“And any admission purportedly given prior to 2017 will no longer be recognised or condoned unless disclosed within this one-month window.
“Institutions are advised to comply with this directive as there will not be any further condonement of hitherto unrecorded candidates who did not even register with JAMB, not to talk of sitting for any entrance examination.
“This move is aimed at curbing illegal admissions and falsification of records while ensuring compliance with the provisions of CAPS,” the statement read.
“Consequently, the board is terminating the aspect of the CUIIA process which allows completely unregistered candidates (without registration) to be introduced to the system.
“CAPS is the only authorised platform for admissions. Those who even have registration but were illegally admitted between the period (2017-2020) would soon be denied the opportunity of the waiver unless they are disclosed within the next one month.
“Therefore, all institutions are hereby directed to disclose, for the final time, all candidates admitted illegally within their systems. Moving forward, the board will not tolerate any undisclosed admission by any institution,” he added.
However, the board agreed that the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions for the 2024/2025 session, remained 16 years.