Vice-Chancellor, University of Jos (UNIJOS), Prof. Tanko Ishaya says the late release of the list of successful candidates who applied for admission into the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 merged academic sessions was due to the need to strengthen and improve the institution’s admissions process as well as avoid mistakes that hitherto affected the system.
The Senior Deputy Registrar (Information and Publications), Abdullahi Abdullahi, said the VC explained that the late release of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO) and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) results was also responsible for some of the delays in concluding the admissions process.
Additionally, the VC stressed the need for the university to comply with the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB’s) new policy of ensuring that candidates are admitted strictly through the JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) to enable them obtain their Admission Letters before proceeding with their registration.
According to him, this is unlike before when candidates who gained admission disregarded the procedure that required them to upload their details on the JAMB portal thereby causing them unnecessary difficulties when the time came for them to register for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
Prof. Ishaya made this known while appearing as a guest on television and radio programme.
The VC disclosed that when the university commenced the Post-UTME online screening exercise, WAEC, NECO and NABTEB results for 2024 were not yet out, therefore, in order not to disfranchise candidates, who were waiting for their examination results, the university Senate approved the extension of the online screening exercise. This, according to him, led to the process being extended as the university awaited the release of WAEC, NECO and NABTEB results.
He further explained that while the candidates’ details have been sent to JAMB to process their admission, many of the candidates have neglected to upload their O’Level results on the JAMB portal, thus making it difficult for such candidates to be offered admission.
Ishaya said unless such candidates go back and fulfill this requirement, they cannot be offered admission and advised candidates seeking admission into UNIJOS to ensure that their O’Level results are uploaded on the JAMB CAPS as the board has already processed some candidates, who have now been offered admission.
For the institution’s Postgraduate School, the VC assured that the university has cleaned up the system to ensure that cases of students spending up to ten and fifteen years before concluding a five year postgraduate programme has been completely resolved.
According to him, the university’s vision and mission is to ensure that when students enroll for a PhD or any other postgraduate programme, they are able to finish within the prescribed period of time.
Highlighting some of his achievements, the VC enumerated issues such as enhancing staff welfare through prompt promotion and training for greater motivation and better performance, provision of transit buses at strategic locations to convey both staff and students to reduce transportation costs as well as addressing staff and students accommodation challenges, as important milestones.
Prof. Ishaya added that the university under his stewardship has continued to encourage students to focus on their academic pursuits by providing them with a conducive learning environment, stressing that the university administration always includes the students leadership in its decision making process.
According to him, the university administration is working in line with the philosophy of the institution’s founding fathers and the enabling laws guiding the university’s operations, which is why his leadership is operating on three pivotal indices of integrity, transparency and accountability that comes with a lot of sacrifices, commitment and dedication to duty.
In the area of research, the VC revealed that under his leadership, the university won many research grants and witnessed many breakthroughs including the production of the first indigenous COVID-19 Vaccine through collaboration with a mega research team comprising the University of Jos, Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom among other institutions, which has brought UNIJOS to global reckoning.
He noted that for the first time in the university’s history, it had secured full accreditation for 93.9% of its academic programmes following the last National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation exercise.
The VC pledged to consolidate on the successes recorded after about three years in office, making corrections to any mistakes observed in order to achieve the administration’s set goals.
Ishaya called on staff, students and the entire university community to team up with management towards actualizing the institution’s mandate as established by the University Act.