The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has said that out of 1, 603, 181 candidates who sat for the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, 414,696, representing 25.09 per cent scored above candidates, out of the 1,603,181 scored above 200.

Speaking during the board’s policy meeting of the of the examination body held in Gbongan, Osun State, Oloyede said the candidates’ performance was different from the 465,025 (27.00 per cent) of the 1, 606, 374 who scored above 200 in 2017.

He further disclosed that 558, 673 candidates scored above 190; 739,490 above 180 and 956, 937 above 170 marks.

The registrar however said the figures published by JAMB should not be taken as cut-off marks stressing that “they are the minimum marks required while the cut-off marks are arrived at from the cumulative consideration of candidates’ scores or grades.”

He added that “there are other assessments for consideration before a candidate could gain admission into tertiary institutions.”

He also said that the number of candidates that were involved in examination malpractices in UTME had reduced drastically.

“Every candidate is required to accept or reject his/her admission before the process is said to be completed.

“Candidates can now protest their admission status should they feel they are not fairly treated,” he said.

In his remarks, the minister of education, Mallam Adamu Adamu urged authorities of higher institutions to work with JAMB to sanitise admission process in the country.

He charged the university authorities not to charge more than N2000 for post-UTME saying there would sanction for infraction.

“At the 2017 policy meeting, I endorsed that any institution which was interested in conducting any form of Post-UTME screening could do so, but that the gross charge for the screening should not be more than N2,000.

“Once again, let me caution heads of tertiary institutions that it would not be tolerated for any institution to charge any fee beyond the approved two thousand naira (N2, 000).

“Firmer sanctions than those of last session shall be applied to cases of violation,” the minister said.

He said the policy meeting would continue to be the forum where the agenda, guidelines, modalities, and timelines would be set for the purpose of admission to universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education in Nigeria.

“Therefore, no admission to any tertiary institutions should be announced before the policy meeting.

“It is appreciated that the meeting is being held early enough for the commencement of the new session.

“The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board should ensure that the policy meeting is now held not later than June every year”, Adamu said.

With Punch and NAN reports