Admission Racketeering: Unending Societal Menace!

ADMISSION RACKETEERING: UNENDING SOCIETAL MENACE


Greetings brethren. Let me once again salute those faces that wake me up every morning, stay with me throughout the day, and invariably take me to bed at night. Frankly speaking; your enticing and ever charming faces remain my optimum impetus. I sincerely promise that I will never let you down.

Few weeks ago having woken up from my usual long-lasted night slumber that ushered me into a fantastic and memorable dream, a certain phone call instantly mesmerized the lovely mood which I found myself. A good friend of mine residing in Ghana called to enquire how the present Nigeria’s admission mode was faring. Believe me, the abrupt enquiry introduced an unforeseen ennui to my humble soul in its totality.

As regards the caller’s quest, unequivocally having heard from him about the nature of Ghana’s admission process (mode), I told him that that of Nigeria would remain a thing of mockery until she squarely addresses the ongoing education menace known as ‘Admission racketeering’ found on her various campuses. I went further to disclose to him that, if proper and adequate care is not taken, in the near future the current Nigeria’s admission scenario would end-up admitting ‘imbeciles’ into our campuses.

Racketeering is the act of making money by threatening people or by selling to them illegal, worthless, or immoral goods and/or services. In the same vein, Admission Racketeering based on the context of this edition, is the activity of making money by selling admission spaces to applicants of a certain institution of learning thereby silencing admission by merit.

The aforementioned criminal act could be found in either primary, secondary, or tertiary citadel of learning. Of course it’s no longer news that in Nigeria for instance, it has become the order of the day. In fact, most of our present days’ youths and as well teachers, have seen the activity as a ‘lucrative’ occupation or another means of survival.

The recent dimension of admission racketeering found in all the government tertiary academic institutions in Nigeria has really brought a nervous wreck to my person. It has grown out of hand to an extent that the racketeers or the miscreants in question now have official offices where they attend to their clients or the applicants. They even go a long way advertising their services as if it’s a legalized activity.

Barely few days ago, I allegedly learnt that a certain brilliant chap who scored above two hundred and sixty (260) in both UTME and Aptitude test having enrolled for Medical Laboratory Science in one of the state tertiary schools in Imo State was unable to secure an admission in the school in question due to admission racketeering. Afterwards, fortunately for the chap, he was admitted in the famous University of Ibadan, Oyo State to study Pharmacy with the same score he got in JAMB (UTME). Needless to say that, the degree of admission racketeering taking place in the existing institutions of higher learning in Nigeria varies from one to another. Let’s ride on!

The above anomaly, admission racketeering, is also taking place in our various government model secondary schools. In this case, the teachers or the head teachers as the case may be, are assumed to be the captains of the respective ships. Yes, the so-called educationists/teachers pilot the dirty affair known as admission racketeering. In most of the schools, the admission is no longer granted by merit; rather, it is being given to the highest bidders thereby depriving the less-privileged ones the chances of being admitted. So pathetic!

The type occurring in the existing private tertiary citadel of learning is not exempted. Though it may not be referred to as ‘admission racketeering’, but it is even more devastating. In this case, it’s obvious that admission is solely meant for the children/wards of the well-to-do parents/guardians. In other words, the only prerequisite to securing admission in such schools remains the amount of money in your pocket, provided the applicant has sat for UTME even if he/she scored zero or thereabouts, thereby throwing ‘admission by merit’ to the dustbin.

There’s only one way out as regards putting this menace to the history book. The Nigeria University Commission (NUC), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and other relevant and concerned agencies and groups including the non-governmental organizations and religious bodies have very vital respective roles to play in this regard.

They must as a matter of urgency in their respective capacities tender bills bearing grievous/capital penalty regarding silencing the cankerworm, to the Nigeria’s Legislative Arm of government. Most importantly, the agencies or groups must ensure that the bill if passed into law is duly implemented by the various Executive Arms of government which inculcate federal and states.

With regard to the above, the Judiciary must also ensure that any case regarding admission racketeering/anomaly brought to any court is duly handled in earnest in order to ensure that the suspect(s) is/are brought to book without any delay.

More so, the parents who encourage or patronize those miscreants ought to know that they are endangering the educational image as well as the future of their children or wards. ‘To before warned is to before armed.’

Above all brethren, all hands are expected to be on deck as regards silencing this ugly and deadly ubiquitous cankerworm that is liable to cost the entire Nigerian state an eternal socio-economic mayhem in no distant time. Think about it!



FRED NWAOZOR

frednwaozor@gmail.com