Allegations of admission racketeering in universities have been described as baseless by the Chairman of Topfaith University, Dr. Emmanuel Abraham. He asserted that no case has been established against any university regarding admission irregularities, noting that such claims remain in the speculative realm.
"The issue of admission racketeering and other irregularities in university admission is still in the speculative realm. Yes, there are stories about candidates who score 300 and above and are denied admission for those who scored less, but I haven’t heard of anybody being prosecuted," Abraham noted.
The Chairman spoke on Tuesday about the recent directive from Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa, which allows universities to set admission criteria without relying primarily on the Joint Admission Matriculation Board exam. Abraham encouraged higher institutions in Akwa Ibom State to embrace the autonomy granted by the Federal Ministry of Education.
He stated that if the Federal Government empowers universities to determine admissions, stakeholders should support this decision. He also noted that preventing corruption in admissions relies on the integrity of each university.
"Sometimes, I refuse to join in the speculation. The issue of corruption in admission processes depends on the integrity of universities," he remarked.
Abraham emphasized that university autonomy is a universal concept that implies the capacity of the institution to take crucial decisions, including who to admit.
"When you talk of university autonomy, it is universal. It implies the capacity of the institution to take crucial decisions, and one of such decisions is who to admit and what forms the basis of such admission," he stated.
He highlighted that admission can be based on more than just examination scores. He noted that institutions should consider several factors when selecting candidates.
"The basis for admission could be from many dimensions such as available facilities, human resources, the needs of the moment, the needs of society, the vision and mission of the university as well as the focal points of the instructions concerned among others," Abraham disclosed.
