FG wants to destroy universities in Nigeria - ASUU, VCs reject new cut-off marks

- Some university vice chancellors in
Nigeria have condemned the new cut-
off marks introduced by JAMB
- Also the Academic Staff Union of
Universities has rejected the new cut-
off of 120 for UTME
- According to those critical of the new
directive, it is said that it would mean
a lowering of educational standards in
the country
Following the announcement that the
cut-off marks for the Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination (UTME) has
been reduced to 120, there has been
some backlash from Nigerians and those
in the educational sector.
Vice-Chancellors and the Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASUU) have
spearheaded the rejection of the decision
of the Joint Admissions and
Matriculation Board to peg admission
cut-off mark at 120 for universities and
100 for polytechnics, monotechnics and
colleges of education.
ASUU said the action was in tandem
“with the dream of the present
government to destroy public universities
in the country.”
Below are some quotes from some vice
chancellors, ASUU and the National
Association of Nigerian Students (NANS)
as obtained by The Punch:
Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan
(UI), Professor Idowu Olayinka, in a
statement released by his Media
Assistant, Mr Sunday Saanu, on
Thursday, August 24, said UI stated that
it would never admit any candidate that
scored 120 in the UTME.
“It should worry us as patriots that
candidates who scored just 30 per cent in
the UTME can be admitted into some of
our universities. Yet, we complain of poor
quality of our graduates. You can hardly
build something on nothing.
"The consolation here is that since JAMB
started conducting this qualifying exam
in 1978, UI has never admitted any
candidate who scored less than 200
marks out of the maximum 400 marks.
“This translates to a minimum of 50 per
cent. This remains our position as an
institution aspiring to be world-class.
Reality is that only about four other
universities in the country have such high
standard.
"To that extent, apart from being the
oldest, we are an elite university in the
country at least judging by the quality of
our intakes," he said.
However, he also commended the
decision of the FG to re-introduce the
post-UTME test.
Olayinka said: “It is gratifying to note
that the Honourable Minister of
Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who
chaired the meeting, apologised publicly
for canceling the post-UTME screening
last year.
“In effect, universities are now allowed to
conduct the test using modalities
approved by the Senate of each
institution.
“To be fair to the incumbent Registrar of
JAMB, he was not the Registrar when the
policy somersault of cancelling the post-
UTME test was made last year.
"As strongly canvassed by us at every
opportunity, for UI, the need to admit the
best admission seekers is the primary
motivation for the test and not money,
even though we do not pretend that you
can run any university so properly called
without funds.”

The Vice-Chancellor, Tai Solarin
University of Education (TASUED), Ogun
state, Professor Oluyemisi Obilade, on
his own part said that the onus would
ultimately fall on parents and employers
of labour to decide “between a first-class
graduate of a university which takes 120
as its cut-off mark or one that takes 180
as its cut-off mark.’’
According to her, TASUED would never
go below 180. She also said that many of
the VCs at the Combined Policy Meeting
during which the 120 benchmark
decision was made, said they would not
go below 180.
“But some universities chose 120 at the
meeting. What the JAMB has done is to
transfer power back to the Senate of
universities to decide their cut-off marks.
"What I can tell you is that many public
universities and even private universities
will not go below 200. We were told that
some universities were doing what they
called ‘under the table admission’ and
then come back to JAMB after four years
for regularisation.
“TASUED will not go below 180, not
under my watch. Even in the United
States, there is what we call Ivy League
universities, and there are those you can
call ‘Next Level Universities.’
"There are also those that are termed
community colleges. At the meeting, the
outcome is that universities have been
given the freedom to decide. It is not
general legislation and it is not binding
on everybody," she said.
Dr Deji Omole, the chairman of ASUU at
the University of Ibadan, accused the
present government of trying to destroy
education in the country.
He said: “Rather than sanctioning the
identified universities that admitted over
17,000 students illegally, the JAMB
registrar simply regularised illegality and
lowered cut-off marks to favour the
interests of the friends of government
who own private universities and are hell
bent on destroying public education.”
Omole said it was vital for JAMB to be
scrapped in order to save the nation’s
education and its future.
“Where are the students that the JAMB
registrar said entered universities
illegally? Which universities admitted
them?
"If 30 per cent did not take JAMB and
found their way into the university
system, is that not corruption and a
message that JAMB is not significant
anymore? What sanction did those who
did the illegal thing receive other than
regularisation of illegality.
“We are watching because long before
now we have said that JAMB has outlived
its usefulness. Let the universities set
their unique standards and those who
are qualified can come in.
"Scoring 120 out of 400 marks is 30 per
cent. Even in those days, 40 per cent was
graded as pass. But now JAMB said with
F9 which is scoring 30 per cent you can
be admitted.
“They deliberately want to destroy
education. Even for polytechnic, 100
marks is 25 per cent. It is sad. And that
is where we are in Nigeria. They want to
destroy public education at all costs.
"This is not setting standard for
education in Nigeria. It is purely
lowering standards and digging grave for
the future. This is why ASUU is currently
on the struggle to influence the
government to do the needful for
education in Nigeria,” he said.
Professor Kayode Alese, the Dean of
Students Affairs, Federal University of
Technology, Akure (FUTA), said that the
institution would soon unveil its cut-off
mark.
“However, I can assure you that FUTA
has never gone as low as 120. It has
never happened and it will never happen.
“Having spoken for the university, my
personal opinion is that the 120 cut-off
mark will not add value to our education
system.
"The Federal Government has just
increased the pass mark from 40 to 45 in
universities. What that means is that you
must score at least 45 for you to pass
any course.
"We have enough candidates and yes you
may try to increase access but tertiary
education should be for those who have
the capability.’’
Prof. Tope Ogunmodede, the Vice-
Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University,
said the institution would not admit any
candidate with 120 UTME score.
“Traditionally, OAU has never admitted
students who scored below 200 in the
UTME. For us, we are sticking to 200.
"The minimum benchmark is 120 but you
can go higher than that. I expect that an
institution should be able to determine
the quality of its graduates because there
are internal exams. What has been done
is to provide a leeway for universities to
decide their cut-off marks,” he explained.
Meanwhile, NANS has described the
reduction of the cut-off marks for
admission into tertiary institutions as “ a
gross misplacement of priority and an
exercise in futility .”
However, Prof. Friday Ndubuisi, the
Vice-Chancellor of the Christopher
University, Ogun state has a different
view. He said the new admission
benchmark would have no negative
implication on the quality of education.
He said: “This is not an imposition. The
cut-off mark is a minimum benchmark
for admission. This idea of taking the
UTME every year without getting
admission is worrying.
"About 1.6 million candidates sat for the
examination this year and about 500,000
will be admitted mostly because of the
cut-off mark.
"Most universities will not go below 200,
but with five credits obtained in two
sittings, a person should be qualified for
admission. This is, however, not an
imposition. Universities still get to decide
on whom to admit through the post-
UTME.’’
Starfrosh blog earlier reported that Prof.
Ishaq Oloyede who is the registrar of
JAMB allayed the fears of Nigerians
insinuating that it was a testament to
the failure in the sector.
He said the board recommendation was
to only provide the institutions with a
benchmark and that universities could
raise their cut off marks above 120 but
not more than 180.