The Registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has accused some higher institutions of learning of “mobilising and awarding” IJMB/JUPEB certificates to individuals who did not attend their institutions. He alleged that some of the certificates issued by the Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) and Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB) centres for Direct Entry into universities were fakes.
Oloyede made the allegation in Abuja penultimate Tuesday at the 2021 Batch ‘B’ pre-mobilisation workshop of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on the theme “Sustainable Mobilisation Process: The Role Of Stakeholders”. The IJMB and JUPEB are educational programmes approved by the Federal Government. They are qualifying examinations for candidates seeking direct entry admissions into Nigerian and foreign universities, coordinated by some universities with centres across the country.
Oloyede, however, expressed worry over the indiscriminate proliferation of the IJMB and JUPEB training centres, some of which he said were compromising standards. He alleged that some of the candidates who attended most of the centres did not merit the certificates given to them because they never attended classes but bought certificates with money.
“I give you one example, you are in a position to know, you run IJMB and JUPEP, how many of these students are actually your students?” he asked. “Go on the streets of Nigeria, everywhere you see IJMB, these candidates are not supposed to be attending tout there but are supposed to be in higher institutions. In Abuja here, you can find up to 100 and they will publicly put it `IJMB training centre,’ this is totally wrong.”
Oloyede commended the introduction of the National Identification Number (NIN) which, he said, had helped to curb malpractice in examination conduct. “This year we used National Identification Number (NIN) and we are very happy because examination malpractice, particularly impersonation, has reduced. And that is why many people are not happy with us; if they have anything to do with JAMB they say something different.”
We sincerely sympathize with you, Oloyede. What you are lamenting is all a part of a national malaise. We agree Nigeria, its great potential notwithstanding, needs some fixing. Regrettably, those patriotic enough to genuinely want to fix it are not getting the support of their compatriots.
However, it is not enough to lament. Crying out will not help. Those of you who truly desire change must give it your all or nothing. President Muhammadu Buhari is doing it. He is a one man hit squad in the corruption fight. He stands alone; he knows it but is not giving up. His tenacity is the right weapon to bring to the fight, certainly not lamentation.
