By Erewunmi Peace

The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), has officially addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding the admission status of one of its graduates, Jamiu Basola Owodunni, after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) declared his admission invalid.

The Student’s Plight

Jamiu Basola, who enrolled in FUTA’s Civil Engineering program in 2017 and graduated after completing a five-year academic journey, recently faced rejection during the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) registration. According to JAMB, his admission was never approved through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), which was introduced to sanitize the Nigerian tertiary admission process.

FUTA’s Response

In a statement released by FUTA, the institution confirmed that Jamiu was duly admitted for the 2017/2018 academic session after successfully passing the UTME. The university expressed shock at the sudden turn of events, reiterating that:

“All relevant documents regarding Mr. Owodunni’s admission were presented to law enforcement authorities, and a comprehensive report has been forwarded to JAMB headquarters.”

FUTA affirmed its full cooperation with the Nigerian Police during the investigation and stated that its own internal processes were followed in the admission of Jamiu Basola.

JAMB’s Position

JAMB, however, maintains that since Basola’s name was not uploaded to the CAPS database, his admission is considered invalid.

“Any admission not captured on CAPS is classified as irregular or fraudulent,” said a spokesperson from JAMB.

The board has urged students and institutions to ensure compliance with the CAPS system, insisting that manual or offline admissions are no longer acceptable.

The Way Forward

With the matter now under review, stakeholders are calling for a resolution that safeguards the interests of students who may have been affected by administrative oversights. Meanwhile, Jamiu Basola’s future remains uncertain as he awaits approval to participate in the NYSC scheme.