JAMB has lifted the embargo it placed on the Lagos State University, Enugu State University of Science and Technology and six others across the country.

The other institutions are the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt; Abia State University, Uturu; Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki; Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State; Evan Enwerem University, Owerri; and Anambra State University, Uli, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, who announced this at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday, said the universities were banned from admitting new students because they were on strike for a long period. He said this made it difficult for the usual semesters and academic years to run smoothly.

Ojerinde said JAMB lifted the embargo after it had consulted with the affected institutions and various stakeholders in the Ministry of Education in the affected states, who came along with their commissioners. He said JAMB convened the meeting after making necessary arrangements to assemble the pro-chancellors, vice chancellors and registrars of the affected universities as well as the commissioners for education.

The JAMB boss stated that it was aimed at summarising issues of admissions into those universities and infrastructure as well as helping them to catch up with other universities on the agency’s programmed timetable for semesters up till the 2011/2012 academic session.

“I’m happy to say that everything that was agreed upon will be done and we hope that those universities will now join others in the country in all matters affecting admissions, examination timetable, semesters and so on,” Ojerinde said.

He, however, expressed joy that the issues at stake were resolved amicably, adding that students could now go back to the affected universities. The registrar also used the medium to restate government’s commitment to providing all the necessary facilities for the success of the programme.

Ojerinde hinted that each university had submitted a schedule on their plans to complete the distorted 2009/2010 academic session.

“Each university has given us a schedule of how it will complete the 2009/2010 academic session. Almost all of them have completed the 2009/ 2010 academic year, except one or two that will finish in February.

“As soon as they finish in February, they will start the 2010/2011 academic calendar and most of them will finish in November 2011. Concurrently, the 2011/2012 academic calendar will start and end in June 2012,” he said.

Ojerinde said though there would definitely be a little bit of overlap, the institutions had made arrangements for it. He added that the issue of funds had been solved as the various proprietors in the ministries of education came along with their commissioners to assure the board that they would fund the institutions.

“So, on our part, immediately they made the promises and signed the agreement, we will now go to the Internet to disband these institutions so that they can register candidates for the 2011/2012 session,” the registrar said.

Ojerinde added that prospective students who wished to be admitted to these universities could take the June 11 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. He said the affected universities would run the 2010/2011 session from March-October 2011 while, the 2011/2012 session would run from October 2011 to July 2012.

Earlier, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Mr. Samuel Akinbode, had reiterated the commission’s commitment to accomplishing the distorted academic calendar.