NUC Defends Senator Nwoye’s Appeal for UNIABUJA Admissions, Clarifies Anyone Can Make Such Requests

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has come to the defense of Senator Tony Nwoye, representing Anambra North senatorial district, after he faced criticism for appealing to the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) for the admission of five students from his zone. The senator had written to the vice chancellor of the university, requesting that the students be considered for admission despite some of them having scores below 200 in the Joint Admission and Matriculation Examinations (JAMB).

Senator Nwoye’s appeal was met with backlash on social media, especially as many candidates with higher JAMB scores had been denied admission. However, in a statement, Haruna Ajo, the spokesperson for the NUC, clarified that anyone, including a senator, has the right to make such an appeal. Ajo emphasized that the university could only admit students who met the required criteria. “If the student merits the admission and meets the requirements, the university can then consider. A candidate cannot be admitted if they do not meet the requirement,” he said, adding that reaching out to the university on behalf of students was not inherently wrong.

In his letter to the UNIABUJA vice chancellor, Senator Nwoye referred to his request as a “passionate appeal,” not a demand, and reiterated that the final decision rested with the university. He explained that the appeal was made at the behest of his constituents, not personal acquaintances. “Is it a crime that my constituents reached out to me to appeal for the students to be considered for the vice chancellor’s discretionary list?” he asked. The senator emphasized that the students could only be considered for the list if they met the required criteria, and it was ultimately up to the university to decide whether or not to act on his request.

Senator Nwoye further clarified that none of the students were from his town and that he had not accepted any money from them. He stated that every university has a discretionary list, and only those who meet the pass mark are eligible for Consideration.