The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has instructed tertiary institutions implicated in flawed admission practices to reverse such admissions with immediate effect.

The Board said it uncovered cases in which candidates with stronger rankings were allegedly overlooked in favour of those with lower scores, a development it warned runs contrary to the rules guiding admissions into Nigerian higher institutions.

The directive was issued in JAMB’s weekly bulletin released on Monday in Abuja by its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin.

In the bulletin, the Board stated, “The attention of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has been drawn to the conduct of admissions by some tertiary institutions where higher-ranked candidates are reportedly being bypassed in favour of lower-ranked candidates.”

It added that decisive action had been taken against the affected institutions.

The bulletin read, “The Board has cautioned the affected institutions and directed the immediate reversal of such irregular admissions. Notwithstanding these reversals, JAMB reiterates its call on all institutions to strictly adhere to the established guidelines governing the selection and admission of candidates.”

JAMB reiterated that admissions are regulated by a clearly defined three-tier framework consisting of Merit, Catchment Area and Educationally Less Developed States, with ranking remaining the determining factor at every stage.

According to the Board, “Each tier is guided strictly by ranking (Merit), such that candidates with higher rankings must be selected first, followed by others in descending order.

“Any situation in which a better-ranked candidate is skipped for a lower-ranked candidate under any of these categories will not be tolerated by the Board.”

Meanwhile, JAMB dismissed a separate claim by a candidate who alleged that she was unfairly denied admission by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, despite scoring high marks.

The Board stated that its findings showed the candidate was not mistreated, as several applicants with higher rankings were ahead of her.

“Consequently, her non-admission was in line with due process of her not ranking high enough to be on the selected limit,” the statement said.

While acknowledging that some institutions had indeed breached admission rules, JAMB clarified that the complainant was not among those affected by the identified irregularities.

“While the Board observed instances where some better-ranked candidates were indeed skipped and had ordered the reversal of those admissions, the said candidate was not affected by such irregularities,” it noted.

Reaffirming its commitment to fairness, the Board stressed, “JAMB remains resolute in ensuring that no candidate with a higher ranking is displaced by a lower-ranked candidate in the admission process.”

The Board also cautioned candidates against amplifying unverified claims online, urging them to rely on official channels for clarification.

“The Board therefore advises candidates to refrain from allowing themselves to be used by individuals seeking attention or followership on social media through baseless allegations.

“Candidates are urged to verify claims of admission irregularities through appropriate and official channels before lending credence to or promoting such allegations.” (PUNCH)

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