The National Universities Commission (NUC) has defended Senator Tony Nwoye of Anambra North for requesting the University of Abuja to consider admitting five students from his senatorial district.
The appeal, made through a letter addressed to the vice chancellor of the University of Abuja, named five candidates: Ikwegbue Ogechukwu Esther (civil law), Cynthia Chioma Anyacho (civil law), Uchenna Emmanuel Augustine (computer science), Aginwa Sixtus Tochukwu (public administration), and Princess Destiny Agogo (medicine and surgery).
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However, the appeal sparked backlash on social media, especially since some of the candidates reportedly scored below 200 in the Joint Admission and Matriculation Examinations (JAMB).
Reacting to the criticism, Haruna Ajo, spokesperson for the NUC, clarified that it is within anyone’s rights to appeal on behalf of students seeking university admission. He noted, “He is a senator, but anyone can do that. If the student merits the admission and meets the requirements, the university can then consider. A candidate cannot be admitted if he or she does not meet the requirements.”
Ajo explained that it is common for people to seek help from public figures, saying, “Because he is a senator, some people will reach out to him to help them send a request. There is nothing wrong with him reaching out to the university; but the students have to merit the admission.”
In his letter titled “Passionate Appeal for Admission,” Senator Nwoye requested the university’s consideration for his constituents, stating that it was not a demand but an appeal. “I humbly request for your kind consideration for admission placement of the underlisted applicants who are my constituents,” he wrote, attaching their undergraduate registration forms for the 2024/2025 session.
Addressing the backlash, Nwoye emphasized that making such an appeal is not illegal. He explained, “Is it a crime that my constituent reach out to me to appeal for the students to be put on the vice-chancellor’s discretional list? University does admission based on merit, and my letter was a passionate appeal, not a demand.”
Nwoye reiterated that the final decision rests with the university authorities, clarifying, “There is no regret that I made that appeal. None of them (students) is from my town. It is my constituents that brought them. Every university has a discretional list. Did I collect money from them? I don’t even know them. If they don’t reach the pass mark, they cannot even get on the discretional list.”
The senator maintained that his appeal was in good faith, aiming to support his constituents’ academic aspirations while respecting the university’s admission process.
