A serious allegation of fraudulent admissions has emerged against the University of Calabar and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Mr. Godwin Nsan, a concerned parent from Calabar, has accused the university’s admissions office of colluding with some JAMB officials to admit unqualified students into various departments for the 2024/2025 academic session.

In a letter addressed to the Registrar of JAMB and copied to other key education stakeholders, including the Minister of Education and the Cross River State Government, Mr. Nsan highlighted the alleged misconduct. He claimed that parents of unqualified candidates paid between ₦250,000 and ₦1,000,000 to secure admissions into highly competitive programs such as Medicine and Surgery, Radiography, and Computer Science.
The letter described how students with higher scores were denied admission while candidates with significantly lower grades were admitted. Mr. Nsan decried this as a violation of JAMB’s stated policy of prioritizing merit in admissions.

He also raised concerns about a pattern of ethnic bias in the admissions process, alleging that most beneficiaries were from the South-Eastern part of Nigeria and the Central region of Cross River State.
Mr. Nsan narrated his son’s ordeal, revealing that despite scoring above the cutoff mark and having complete NECO results, his son was denied admission into the Theatre Arts Department. According to him, monetary demands were made for his son’s admission, which he refused to meet.
“This system is failing our children,” Mr. Nsan lamented, adding that his son now faces another year at home, with financial pressures mounting on the family.
The aggrieved parent called for an immediate review of the 2024/2025 admissions list and demanded that JAMB publish the results and admission lists for public scrutiny. He further urged the Federal and State Governments to establish investigative panels to probe the alleged fraud.
Mr. Nsan also advocated for the suspension of all officials involved in the admissions process, including the University of Calabar Admissions Officer and the JAMB Manager in charge of Cross River State.
In his appeal, Mr. Nsan called on the Senate Committee on Education, the House of Representatives, the Cross River State House of Assembly, and Governor Apostle Prince Bassey Edet Otu to address the issue urgently.
“This fraudulent practice will destroy the future of our already struggling education system. A stitch in time saves nine,” he concluded.
Efforts to reach the University of Calabar and JAMB for comments were unsuccessful as of press time.
However, this unfolding scandal underscores the urgent need for transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s admission processes.

 
The Governor of Cross River State Bassey Edet Otu has presented 250 billion Naira Appropriation Bill to the State House of Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year.

Named the “People’s First Budget”, the Budget set aside about N154 billion for capital expenditure, while N96 billion would take care of recurrent expenses with about One Hundred and Thirty-Three Billion, Three Hundred Million Naira (N133,300,000,000) expected as derivable revenue from the monthly Federation Account during the year.
Governor Otu while presenting the document on Thursday to the Assembly for consideration and subsequent approval, indicated that the budget proposal was developed to align with the United Nations development goals’ initiative of zero hunger; industry; innovation; and justice principles.

According to him, the State government is not unmindful of the global economic downturn which has negatively impacted the economic wherewithal of the state and the citizens in general.

He also disclosed that the State Government is expecting the sum of Thirty-Five Billion, Three Hundred and Twenty-Two Million Seven Hundred and Forty-Seven Thousand Five Hundred and Ninety-Four Naira (N35,322,747,594) as independent revenue during the next fiscal year.
Highlights of the sectorial priorities in the 2024 budget estimates indicate that agriculture would receive a huge boost as the State plans to provide farmers with improved hybrid seedlings to enhance greater agricultural development

The governor announced the state government’s preparedness to commence free tuition in public primary and secondary schools across the state, alongside the payment of examination fees for students registering to take the WAEC and NECO.

Other key features of the budget indicate that “the State Electrification Agency (SEA) shall be empowered to provide power to our rural dwellers and semi-urban areas.

Importantly, the Governor said the budget proposal “is a clear departure from the norm in recent times where recurrent expenditure exceeds capital expenditure”.

Earlier in his address, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Elvert Ayambem drew the Governor’s attention to the various challenges facing the Assembly, noting that these include the absence of operational vehicles to enhance their constitutionally empowered oversight responsibilities.

Ahead of the Court of Appeal judgement, concerned group of Cross River North politicians under the aegis of Cross River Democracy Watch (CRDW) has asked the former governor to exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship by accepting defeat rather than his recent clandestine moves to romance the National chairman of the ruling APC to influence the Court of Appeal judgment in his favour.

This is coming against the backdrop that group had earlier claimed it has intercepted credible intelligence over a fresh move by the immediate past Governor of the State, Senator Ben Ayade, to influence the ⁹decision of the Court of Appeal in his favour in an appeal the ex-Governor filed challenging the judgment of the Election Petition Tribunal affirming the election of Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe as the Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District.

The group expressed concern over the sudden romance between Senator Ayade and the APC National Chairman, Alhaji Umar Ganduje.

In a statement made available to journalists on Thursday, 19th October, 2023, in Abuja, CRDW warned that any attempt to subvert the mandate of the good people of Cross River North which was freely given to Senator Jarigbe in the February 25, 2023, National Assembly Election will be resisted. 

“We have noted the curious political philandering between the National Chairman of APC and Senator Ayade who was roundedly rejected at the poll by our people in the last election and we make bold to say that such a move would not save the ex Governor from also losing at the Court of Appeal.
“He failed us as Governor, how can he expect us to send him to the Senate to represent us? When we have a super achiever like Senator Jarigbe?” the group stated.

The group said their sources informed them that the ex Governor is now chasing the APC hierarchy around in a desperate bid to influence the outcome of the Court of Appeal judgment. “This is definitely going to be another failed attempt”, the statement read.

“Ayade now flies in private jets with the National Chairman of the APC  and begs bigwigs of the party who care to listen, to his infantile crocodile tears, to help him upturn the judgment of the Cross River State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.”

“We have evidence of his recent trip to Abuja with the APC National Chairman during which the ex-Governor lamented his loss at the tribunal,” the group stated.

The group urged the ex-Governor to accept his defeat both at the February 25, 2023, Senatorial Election and at the Tribunal.

CRDW in the said statement signed by its National Coordinator, Mr Godswill Udoak, however, expressed solid confidence in the judiciary to shun the evil machinations of the ex-Governor and his ilk.