The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has delisted
management courses of some universities in its current admission
brochure.
They are Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Federal
University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Modibbo Adamawa Federal
University of Technology, Yola (MAUTY), Federal University of
Technology, Minna (FUTMINNA), Federal University of Agriculture,
Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike
(MOUAU) and University of Agriculture, Makurdi (UAW).
This is sequel to an order by the federal government that the
universities of Agriculture and Technology should stop running
management courses and focus on their core mandates.
The directive was issued by the Ministry of Education after it was approved recently by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, explained that the decision
to delist the programmes was not taken by the Board as being suggested
by the some staff and students of the universities affected.
“It was a ministerial decision based on FEC meeting and as an agency
of government, we are to implement government decisions.,” he told Sun.
“So, in the concluded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the concerned institutions did not field candidates.”
Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the
House Committee on Tertiary Education have queried the directive.
Reacting, ASUU FUNAAB chairman, Dr. Adebayo Oni, said the national
body of the union was aware of the government decision but noted that it
was done without proper consultation with affected universities and
stakeholders.
He said: “FUNAAB branch took the issue to our zonal branch meeting
which reported same at the national level. The delisting of the
programme was done in haste and it is illegal by JAMB.
“The courses were accredited by the National Universities Commission
(NUC) and relevant bodies. University vice-chancellors were not carried
along.”