- Nigerians have criticised JAMB's decision not to allow Direct Entry candidates who have undergone changes in names
- The candidates cry that the prohibition is hindering them from furthering their education to higher institution
- JAMB's spokesperson, Benjamin Fabian, replied that the students need to go back to their previous institution to effect the changes on their certificates first
Nigerians have lamented the decision of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board to bar Direct Entry candidates who have undergone changes to their names.
Change of name is a normal and legal process in Nigeria whereby an individual decides to add, subtract, or replace their initial name for one reason or another.
Before this can be done, such a person would have to publish the newly changed names in a public newspaper.
JAMB has not allowed candidates with different names to proceed with registration, probably out of fear of people exploiting the loophole to parade fake certificates.
There are many candidates who are languishing in distress as they cannot further their studies as a result of the restraint, the PUNCH reported.
Adeniyi Adeyemi-Reuben, who was formerly bearing Segbe Adeyemi Reuben before he underwent a name-changing process in 2017, lamented how many attempts to sit for the JAMB examination.
He lamented:
“I can’t register for JAMB simply because I did a change of surname after my first degree. Even those with maiden names who did change of surname because of marriage can’t register. I met about three of them at JAMB office in Lagos and even saw one who complained at JAMB headquarters in Abuja.”
He decried that despite formal attempts and numerous complaints, JAMB has turned deaf ears to their sufferings.
He added:
"Is JAMB saying it’s wrong to change your name in this country even if you have a genuine reason for it? JAMB is claiming people use fake certificates. I can prove beyond reasonable doubt that my certificates are genuine. My second degree, my NIN, tax clearance, Nigerian passport, and working ID card all have the new name. Why is it now wrong for me to register for another course through direct entry?”
JAMB replies query
In a conversation with a reporter, the board’s spokesperson, Benjamin Fabian, replied that the onus is on the candidates to go to their former institutions and have the names on the certificates replaced to effect new changes.
He said:
“If your name is Benjamin and you are bringing document bearing another name then you are not the candidate certainly you will not be registered. If you have graduated from ABU for instance and your name is Austin and all of a sudden you are coming with John Bosco how are we going to register you, what happened that you are changing your name in between, you must prove to us, we must understand why the name change.
“Most of the time you collect someone’s certificate and you want to legalise it through us, their schools should identify them,” Benjamin added.
LASU’s best graduating student shares success story
In a previous report, Legit.ng chronicled how Mubarak Olawale Olaniyi emerged as the overall best-graduating student of LASU with 4.98 CGPA.
Olaniyi obtained a perfect Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.0 in his first semester in 100-level. She was one of the 153 first-class graduates out of a total of 8,670 students at the institution's 27th convocation ceremony.
.. Source: Legit.ng
