…Says We Receive All Kinds Of Requests But Insist On The Rules
By Tony Adibe
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Charles Igwe, has denied outright the allegation of admission racketeering made against the citadel of learning, insisting that there is nothing like that in the institution.
Prof Igwe made this disclosure at the Enugu Campus of UNN on Tuesday during a pre convocation press briefing to mark the 51st convocation ceremony that will be concluded on Sunday at the Nsukka main campus of the university.
The vice chancellor, who was answering questions from newsman on the recent alleged admission racketeering levelled against the institution on the floor of the Nigeria Senate, said UNN has always been meticulous in admitting students to the university that has admission quota of 11,000.
He said almost every parent or student would want to study at UNN, but the admission space will not permit such wish. Prof. Igwe urged applicants wishing to be admitted to study at UNN to work hard to be given admission, restating that there is no admission racketeering the university.
The VC said that UNN was best among others, noting that everyone is craving to be part of it. “UNN is not just any other university. Anybody who wants to be a student of UNN must work hard. UNN is known for discipline. We maintain standards,” said Prof. Igwe, who reiterated that “there is no racketeering anywhere in UNN.”
NewsBits, however, recalls that the accusation of admission racketeering by the university was brought on the floor of the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria recently. The development reportedly prompted the Senate to commence an investigation into the allegation that UNN in conspiracy with the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) were hand-in-clove into admission cash-and-carry.
Recall that a report had it that Nigeria’s first indigenous university had way back in 2019 purportedly connived with JAMB to scuttle the admission of an applicant, one Chinyere Ekwe, into the university where she applied to study medicine and surgery.
Specifically, the Senator representing Ebonyi North District, Senator Onyeka Nwebonyi, had in this month (November), moved a motion in which he claimed that some UNN personnel purportedly connived with JAMB to deny Ms Ekwe admission into the medicine and surgery department of the University way back in 2019.
Senator Nwebonyi appealed to the Senate to quickly compel JAMB and UNN to admit Ekwe into the department. But the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio said the Senate would investigate the matter, explaining that JAMB should be invited for fair fearing considering that they are a reputable institution.
However, JAMB’s Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, while commenting on the issue during the 2023 Customer Service Week of the JAMB, said that Ms Ekwe was not admitted into UNN’s medicine and surgery department in 2019 because she had scored 291 in her UTME, which was below the mark for admission into the course.
UNN Not Into Admission Racketeering!
Speaking on the issue, Prof. Igwe, denied the allegation, insisting that the university, in line with its tradition, offers admissions based on the admission policy of Nigeria and federal character principle.
He said the university has the tradition of conducting a transparent admission process in compliance with the federal government’s established criteria of 45 per cent merit, 35 per cent catchment areas, and 20 per cent for educationally less developed states.
According to him, what happened in the case of the female applicant was that Ms Ekwe had scored below the merit cut-off mark for admission into the medicine and surgery department of the UNN in that year. He added that the university had proposed more candidates for admission into professional courses more than the quota allowed by professional bodies, but JAMB insisted that the institution must follow the quota prescribed by the bodies.
The VC explained that some of the professional bodies include the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN). Prof. Igwe noted that the professional bodies had maintained that medicine and surgery had a quota of 180 students, law 220, nursing 75, pharmacy 150 and dentistry 15.
He said: “There was no way we could admit every person that applied for medicine when we were taking only 180 persons.” Prof. Igwe further explained that following the development, Ms Ekwe, like other students affected by the situation, was recommended for admission into the medical laboratory science department of the UNN in the hope that she could be transferred to the medicine and surgery department the following year if she performed well academically.
He recalled that he had pleaded with some deans in the university at that time to “give preference” to the students affected by the policy during the admission process the following year. The VC said Ms Ekwe has already successfully been transferred to the medicine and surgery department of the institution from the medical laboratory science where she was initially admitted.
Prof. Igwe restated that there’s no admission racketeering in UNN, adding that “So, I don’t know what warranted the outburst on the floor of the Senate.” He, however, lauded the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Senator representing Abia South District, Enyinnaya Abaribe, for showing understanding in the matter.
‘Name-Dropping And Requests From Presidency, Abuja To Admit Choice Candidates’
Saying that certain people often engage in name-dropping for reasons best known to them, Prof. Igwe said he often received requests from some people who claim they were from the presidency while others pretend their requests were coming from bishops.
The VC said: “I get all sorts of requests during every admission. Somebody will write to me from the presidency. These days, people drop names. And he wants me to take somebody that scored 215 as against somebody that scored 300 and if I don’t do it, they will go to public places and spread rumour that the University of Nigeria is now practising admission racketeering.
“One came with an admission request a year or two ago from a bishop. I am an Anglican. Even when they make these requests, they go for core courses. Somebody around me just picked that letter-head paper with the request and said, ‘you forged this thing. I know the signature of the bishop,” the VC said.
Convocation
On the 51st convocation, the VC explained that UNN will award a total of 11,444 first degrees during the convocation ceremony on Friday. Igwe also said that one of the major events lined up for the ceremony was the convocation lecture with the topic, “University Autonomy and the Challenge of Sustainable Education Funding in Nigeria.”
The lecture, which will be delivered on Friday, November 24th, by the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Architect Sonny S. T. Echono will be a “very interesting one, especially to all those who are interested in the funding of education in Nigeria,” the Vice Chancellor said.
He said that four prominent Nigerians – Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, the MD/CEO of Fidelity Bank Plc, and Mr. Ogbonnaya Onovo, a former Inspector General of Police, Major General J.O.J. Okoloagu (rtd) and Mr. Igochukwu Weli will be given the honourary doctorate degrees of the University.
Giving a summary of the undergraduate results, Prof. Igwe explained that 288 graduands will receive 1st Class Honours; 4,853 will be awarded 2nd Class upper division; 5,077 will bag 2nd Class lower division; 653 will get Third class while 7 will get Pass and 616 graduands will receive unclassified degrees.
He, however, emphasised that the unclassified degrees are awarded to graduates of some courses, such as medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine, which are not usually classified into first, second or third class. He said a total of 67 diplomas will also be awarded at the convocation, and gave the breakdown as – 7 Distinctions, 35 Credits, 22 Merits and 3 Passes.
Prof. Igwe further announced that 1,451 postgraduate degrees and diplomas will be awarded during the ceremony. He gave a summary of the postgraduate degrees and diplomas as follows: 479 persons will earn the Doctorate degree, while 884 persons will be awarded the Master’s Degrees, and a total of 88 diplomas will be awarded.
