The National Universities Commission, NUC, has defended the senator representing Anambra North senatorial district, Tony Nwoye, for appealing to the University of Abuja to give admission to five members of his zone in the state.
Recall that social media was abuzz weekend with criticisms of the senator’s action, especially as candidates with very high scores in the Joint Admission and Matriculations Examinations were denied admission.
The senator had written the vice chancellor of the university, demanding admissions for Ikwegbue Ogechukwu Esther (civil law); Cynthia Chioma Anyacho (civil law); Uchenna Emmanuel Augustine (computer science); Aginwa Sixtus Tochukwu (public administration); and Princess Destiny Agogo (medicine and surgery), even when some of them scored below 200.
However, Haruna Ajo, spokesperson of the National Universities Commission, NUC, in his reaction, said that anyone was free to make an appeal for a student to be considered for admission to the university.
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He explained that if the student met the admission requirements, the university would then decide whether or not to act on the appeal.
“He is a senator, but any one can do that. If the student merits the admission and meets the requirements, the university can then consider. A candidate cannot be admitted if he or she does not meet the requirement.
“Because he is a senator, some people will reach out to him to help them send a request. There is nothing wrong with him reaching out to the university; but the students have to merit the admission,” Ajo said.
Senator Nwoye had in his letter to the VC of UNIABUJA, titled ”Passionate Appeal for Admission,” said: “I humbly request for your kind consideration for admission placement of the underlisted applicants who are my constituents and citizens of Federal Republic of Nigeria for admission in your institution to further their academic career.
“Kindly find attached their university of Abuja undergracluate 2024/2025 registration form. With humility I am a member of Senate committee on tertiary education and Tetfund. Please accept the assurances of my esteemed regards.”
Explaining why he wrote the VC, the lawmaker emphasised that writing to the university was not a criminal act, clarifying that he made a “passionate appeal” rather than a demand.
He also said while he had made the appeal, the final decision rested with the university, adding “is it a crime that my constituent reach out to me to appeal for the students to be put on the for vice-chancellor’s discretional list?
”University does admission based on merit and my letter was a passionate appeal, not a demand. It is left to the university to decide.
“There is no regret that I made that appeal. None of them (students) is from my town. It is my constituents that brought them.
“Every university has a discretional list. Did I collect money from them? I don’t even know them?
“If they don’t reach the pass mark, they cannot even get on the discretional list. They have reached the pass mark and it is now left for the vice-chancellor to decide.”
