Ediene Abak, Akwa Ibom State – The Director of the School of Basic Studies at the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), Ediene Abak Campus, Prof. Ebonbong Nsong-urua, has expressed sympathy to law aspirants who failed to secure admission into the Faculty of Law for the 2024/2025 academic session despite scoring creditable points in their Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB) exams.
Disappointed Students Appeal for Consideration
A delegation of JUPEB students who scored 15 and 14 points in the last examination visited the director's office to plead for reconsideration for admission into the university's law program. The students expressed disappointment after discovering that only nine candidates were placed in law this year, compared to 28 candidates in 2023, when the admission cut-off ranged between 14 and 16 points.
Management Cites Insufficient Facilities
Addressing the students in what witnesses described as a kind and understanding manner, Prof. Nsong-urua explained that the restrictive admission policy did not originate from her office but was a directive from the university management. According to the director, the decision was necessitated by insufficient facilities at the Faculty of Law's permanent site, which cannot adequately accommodate the volume of students that would result from accepting candidates with 14, 15, and 16 points.
This year, the university implemented a strict admission policy requiring law aspirants to score a minimum of 16 points to qualify for admission, marking a significant departure from previous years when the threshold was lower.
Students Take Courage from Director's Response
The director's gentle and responsible handling of the situation reportedly encouraged some disappointed students to reapply for the program, with hopes that the situation might improve in subsequent admission cycles.
Sources indicate that the university management would have explored alternative solutions if all students with 14 and 15 points had achieved the required 16 points, suggesting that the infrastructure constraints are severe enough that even marginal flexibility is not currently feasible.
Direct Entry Students Also Affected
FreshNote also gathered that only two candidates from the Diploma (Direct Entry) category were admitted into law this year. This shows that the admission squeeze affected both JUPEB and Direct Entry routes.
What This Means
The numbers tell a clear story. Law admission at UNIUYO has become extremely competitive. Students aiming for law will need to score nothing less than 16 points to stand a chance.
The university has not said anything about plans to expand the Faculty of Law facilities to take more students in the future.