The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has reinstated the portal of Jamiu Basola, a Civil Engineering graduate of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, resolving a long-standing controversy over his admission status.
According to The PUNCH, Basola, who completed his degree with a commendable 4.41 CGPA in 2024, faced an unexpected hurdle during his final clearance when FUTA’s Student Affairs Division notified him that his National Youth Service Corps mobilisation had been halted. The reason? JAMB had flagged his admission as “fake.”
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Monday, Basola expressed relief at the latest development. “My JAMB portal has now been reopened. I can log in and access my documents again. More importantly, my name has finally appeared on the matriculation list,” he said.
“Although I’m still awaiting NYSC mobilisation, this is a major breakthrough.”
The resolution followed months of letters and appeals written by Basola to FUTA officials, including the registrar, vice-chancellor, and chairman of the admissions committee.
His efforts eventually caught the attention of the National Association of Nigerian Students, whose intervention proved pivotal.
“This positive development is a direct result of the decisive intervention by the NANS national leadership, led by our President, Comrade Olushola Oladoja,” said Adeyemi Ajasa, NANS National Public Relations Officer, in a statement.
Ajasa hailed the outcome as a “victory for justice and student welfare,” adding that “Jamiu’s fight was indeed our fight, and his victory is a triumph for every Nigerian student.”
He credited the FUTA Civil Engineering Department for playing a key role in verifying Basola’s admission status and commended JAMB for eventually acting on the clarifications provided.
“This outcome underscores the power of collective action and NANS’s unwavering commitment to protect the rights and dignity of Nigerian students,” Ajasa said.
The student body also assured that it would continue to monitor the case until Basola is officially mobilised for NYSC.
“We reaffirm our commitment to holding institutions accountable. The lives and academic pursuits of Nigerian students are not bargaining chips,” the statement added.
Basola’s ordeal came to public light after he took to social media, revealing that JAMB had invalidated his university admission seven years after he began his studies.
Initially, JAMB, through its Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, dismissed his claims, stating that Basola was “an unknown entity to the Board concerning admission.” The Board also described the admission letter in Basola’s possession as unauthentic, stating it “did not emanate from its system.”
JAMB further asked Basola to reveal how he obtained the alleged fake document, emphasizing that emotional appeals about his background as an orphan should not cloud objective investigation.
