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Tag: JAMB

  • No stalement in varsities’ admission, says JAMB

    No stalement in varsities’ admission, says JAMB

    The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has warned universities in the country against exploiting Nigerians currently seeking admission in higher institutions.

    It said there was no any form stalemate in the admission of fresh students into universities across the country.

    Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, restated that all universities have been barred from conducting written examinations before admitting students who have already been certified by JAMB.

    Oloyede, who spoke to reporters in Benin City during his visit to JAMB’ Zonal Office in Benin, Edo State, denied alleged imposition of students on universities.

    He said all issues concerning admission of fresh students have been resolved and that due consultation with the Senate, House of Representatives and all the regulatory agencies, including NBTE, NCCE, NUC.

    Oloyede stated that the authority, autonomy and independence of academic boards of the Senate of the respective institutions remain sacrosanct.

    “There is no ambiguity of what will happen. As it has been announced by the Honourable Minister for Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu, there would be no written examination. No written Post UTME examination by any institution.

    “They should determine their criteria, following the directives of the Federal Executive Council to all federal universities about what should be merit, catchment areas, Educationally Disadvantaged States and every other thing remain as it used to be.

    “Every senate and academic board should determine its own admission policy.

    “We must be fair to all. We must be federal in our attitude. We must be equitable in whatever we do. We must not extort [the students].

  • My appointment in JAMB divine, says Oloyede

    My appointment in JAMB divine, says Oloyede

    The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, yesterday described his appointment as divine.

    “I did not see this assignment coming, yet I consider my being here before you at this moment in history as divine.’’

    The new JAMB registrar spoke at the board’s headquarters in Abuja, while receiving an hand over note from Prof. Dibu Ojerinde.

    Oloyede promised to hit the ground running, promising to improve  JAMB with his qualities and experiences.

    According to him, the board would be structured to reflect the change mantra of the administration.

    He said he would continue  the good policies of his predecessor, adding that changes would be made where necessary.

    “Whether my period here is short, truncated or long, what is important is to do my bit and leave the stage better than we met it, just as my predecessors have done. Setting the stage is a collective responsibility and we have to make this board greater.

    “Part of my agenda is to key into the ‘change’ mantra of the government by building on the legacy left behind by my predecessors and “change” whatever deserves to be changed, because the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.

    “The change begins from individuals as we often realise that we can’t change anything, except we change ourselves.

    “The point I am making is that I am inheriting a great JAMB but there is still sufficient room for improvement so that the board can be greater if we all change,” he said.

    Oloyede unveiled his five-point agenda, which included staff welfare, technology, networking, discipline, and transparency.

    The registrar advised workers to be disciplined, noting that indiscipline was the bane of underdevelopment in Nigeria.

    He urged them to work with him to build on the progress made by his predecessor.

    “The time is short and we need to hit the ground running, with the hope that the support you accorded my predecessors, which was instrumental to their success, will be accorded me.

    “The first rule in heaven is order and the bane of our development as a nation is indiscipline. Discipline requires that the right thing is done at the right time for the right purpose. Discipline requires that we clean our corners in our respective capacities. Lateness to work, laziness at work, disrespect for deadline, insubordination and so on are viruses that often cripple an organisation.

    “I will implore you to hold discipline sacrosanct because indiscipline is corruption and many people who criticise others are also corrupt by virtue of their sheer indiscipline.’’

    “We shall take this respectable Board, an institution upon which the future of millions of our youth depends, to a new height. Let us do it together,” he added.

    Earlier, Prof. Ojerinde, who received a rousing ovation from staff of the board, noted that he was leaving JAMB better than he met it after nine years in charge.

    He urged the zonal and state coordinators of JAMB to grant Prof. Oloyede the same cooperation he enjoyed while serving as their boss.

    “I am sure you will make things better than you found it. I am not surprised you are coming,” he said.

     

  • My appointment as JAMB Registrar divine – Oloyede

    The new Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, on Monday said he was surprised to be appointed head of the board by President Muhammadu Buhari, describing the appointment as divine.

    “I did not see this assignment coming, yet I consider my being here before you at this moment in history as divine. It is therefore on that premise that after thanking the Almighty God Who makes everything possible and those who repose their confidence in me, I reconciled myself with the daunting task that the current assignment engenders,” he said in a prepared speech he delivered at the headquarters of JAMB in Abuja when Prof. Dibu Ojerinde officially handed over to him.

    Prof. Oloyede promised to hit the ground running.

    He told journalists that he was ready to take JAMB to enviable heights with his qualities and experiences over the years.

    According to him, the board would be structured to reflect the change mantra of the present administration.

    Prof. Oloyede assured that he would continue with the good policies embarked upon by his predecessor, Prof. Ojerinde, adding changes would be made where necessary.

    “Whether my period here is short, truncated or long, what is important is to do my bit and leave the stage better than we met it, just as my predecessors have done. Setting the stage is a collective responsibility and we all have to make this great Board even greater.

    “Part of my agenda is to key into the change mantra of the current government by continuing to build on the legacy left behind by my illustrious predecessors and change whatever deserves to be changed because the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.

    “The change begins from individuals as we often realize that we can’t change anything except we change ourselves.

    “The point I am making is that I am inheriting a great JAMB but there is still sufficient room for improvement so that the Board can even be greater if we all change accordingly,” he said.

     

     

  • Agenda for ‘Born Again’ JAMB and TETFUND

    Finally, the Buhari administration seems set to pay what appears a reasonable attention to the education sector with the recent appointment of new heads for no fewer than 17 agencies in the sector. This is one sector in which everyone directly or indirectly is a stakeholder.

    Most visible in the news today is the reality that the administrators of the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) have exhausted whatever was left of their creativity. I recall with nostalgia that this same board had been so efficient in the past that it even made us believe in the post office system in the country. At a time JAMB didn’t have an examination centre in my community, I wrote its examination way back in the early 1980s having to travel more than 20 kilometres. The scores were eventually released to different universities. There was no unpleasant story. The local mail man, as he had done with several ordinary mails in the past, strolled to our family house one morning to deliver my admission letter.

    As a university teacher and one that has also had the uncommon advantage of undertaking academic programmes in some high performing institutions with highly rated scholarship and fellowship awards, one cannot but feel for today’s children in schools.  What exactly are they made to get excited with? A couple of weeks back, a 300-level student of  mine had excused herself from one of the classes I teach  so she could go and process her admission letter which was yet to be released by JAMB!

    It is most disturbing that the hope of several ambitious children of this digital generation of a world with no boundaries again has been shattered by JAMB because some officials simply elected to be unduly callous and unpardonably out of tune with the trend in the sector. How do we explain the deployment of slow and low-performing computers for fate-deciding tests like Universities Matriculation Examinations that JAMB conducts?  The unpalatable consequence of this is that some unlucky candidates assigned such systems end up with scores below their real capability. Anyone who reads the interviews often conducted for first class graduates of some of our universities would readily recall that some of these students have had to write this examination more than once perhaps not because they didn’t deserve to pass at the first sitting.

    Added to the challenge of infrastructure now is the rather absurd confusion which JAMB is currently exhibiting with regards to deciding the parameters of candidates’ admission.  What has happened to the findings of studies conducted on these by our colleagues in the realm of test and measurement? What has happened to the easier option of consultation with relevant experts who may have conducted such studies in the first place? What is the trend in other parts of the world?

    It’s commendable that the Buhari administration announced that its crash employment programme for 500,000 graduates includes the most indispensable tool of this age of techno-literacy. Without further delay, it should, for now, initiate a strong collaboration with computer manufacturers for the setting up of computer laboratories for tertiary institutions.  This idea should serve the purposes of examination centres for JAMB candidates and even assorted recruitment and promotional examinations through which it could attract at least maintenance revenues.  It will as well function as training centres for relevant courses in the same institutions.  Computers still constitute scarce facilities in our tertiary institutions!

    Having been celebrated by his contemporaries globally, the new JAMB helmsman Prof. IshaqOloyede surely knows what to do with the human factor in JAMB being a most incorruptible academic and administrator of a most admirable standing.

    Not the least needed is the radical strategy to deal with the so-called special centres for JAMB examinations. How did we get here? A JAMB that will surrender its sovereignty to “private ownership” does not deserve taxpayers’ support.  It is shameful enough that the degeneracy that has befallen our public education system has given rise to unwieldy outside-of-school interventions to restore the hope of our ambitious youngsters.  To continue to sustain the extension of the conduct of JAMB examinations to private arena will be most indecent and unprofessional.

    For the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, it’s been comparable to what the renowned playwright, Ola Rotimi, calls “one slender body of joy” with a great measure of lethargy and territorialism injected into it. It, indeed today, functions as if it isn’t the outcome of the rigorous vision of members of the community it has been established to serve.  Be it known by the world that it is one of the many recommendations following the research efforts of some of our fine scholars to relieve the sector of some burdens.

    Today, a casual tour of a number of our academic institutions readily reveals conspicuous interventions of this fund. One cannot imagine what the state of the nation’s tertiary institutions could be without the support of this fund. The fund has indeed done well to also advance out invaluable support to institutions for personnel development. Some otherwise disoriented scholars have been purged of hopelessness. It is particularly commendable that under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Fund published a list of some institutions that failed to retire some funds that they had collected. It is however not certain if the Fund still does this.

    An establishment like TETFUND with monumental resources has the capacity to accelerate Nigeria’s return to glory as envisioned by President Buhari and shared by a number of patriots. It is quite interesting that the accolade the University of Ilorin attracts to itself today also derives partly from TETFUND’s support. It will therefore not be out of place for TETFUND to learn from the tradition of high performers like the universities of Ibadan and Ilorin both of which ensure that certain dates are sacrosanct.  For instance, it is well known across all institutions that collaborate with TETFUND that there are deadlines for the submission of applications for conference grants to lecturers. On the other hand however, TETFUND does not seem to have control over specific dates when such grants may be released to the potential beneficiaries. The potential beneficiaries are made to wait pitiably without explanation. This becomes increasingly surprising in an age in which computerization has substantially demystified precision. TETFUND, the new head, Abdullahi Bichi Baffa, should realize, has competitors in local and international grant-making organizations from which their supposed beneficiaries also benefit without having to genuflect to suggest corruption.  Indeed, hoping the new head has experienced it, the various philanthropic organisations in town relate with their beneficiaries as partners and collaborators.

    The practice of whimsically cancelling programmes for which applications are sought by the fund is also most discourteous.  It is unimaginable that TETFUND will solicit applications in form of proposals from university lecturers, get professors to assess same only to summarily announce that it would no longer be in a position to support such without any apology to the professors who assessed the proposals nor the ‘perceived’ beggars who had sweated it out to submit the proposals.  Development work has zero tolerance for asymmetrical relationship between partners.  It is imperative to register one fact with TETFUND managers here.  TETFUND grants are not spectacularly outstanding.  Grants given by other charities for the same purposes are often fatter. They also need to check out the fact that the same brilliant minds they do not deem as deserving courtesy are most specially treasured by several other development and donor agencies. I recall with pride how, for a particular contract, DFID realizing I was a university teacher gave me the courtesy of the freedom to budget the specific measure of time I could spare for them as a consultant yet with a fantastic reward.

    Whatever level of transparency TETFUND currently lays claim to can also be improved upon in the spirit of the change mantra of the Buhari administration. For instance, it would not be out of place to publish its annual report and accounts in details.  One can imagine if TETFUND will not be answerable to its partners, how does it get to reckon with their input in conceptualizing plans?  Again, all credible grant makers publish annual reports and accounts, so this peculiarity of half measure approach to transparency by TETFUND is better revised immediately.

    For JAMB and TETFUND, tertiary education in Nigeria is a common denominator from which a lot is expected. Will they measure up this time with new heads to captain their ships?

     

    • Dr. Akanni, teaches journalism at the Lagos State University.
  • Registrar’ll revolutionise JAMB, says Okebukola

    Registrar’ll revolutionise JAMB, says Okebukola

    A former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola, has said the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-ahaq Oloyede, will revolutionise the agency.

    He also said the outgoing Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, did well.

    Okebukola, in a statement, said the registrar is “a no-nonsense, clear-headed scholar, who is globally consulted on higher education matters”.

    The statement reads: “With about nine years as head of JAMB, Professor Dibu Ojerinde has done well. The transformation, which he took the Board through, is huge. He modernised the operations of the Board at such a dizzying pace that I used to fondly call him the “magician” in JAMB. I note that he worked with exceptional directors and I should single out Dr. Yusuf Lawal, who oversees Test Administration.

    “With the appointment of Professor Is-haq Oloyede as the new registrar, JAMB is in for a revolutionary time in terms of delivering more effectively on its mandate.

    “Professor Oloyede parades excellent credentials to lead a whole sector, such as education in Nigeria, hence asking him to head a parastatal in education is like asking a Five-star, battle-tested general to quell a fight between two area boys in Ajegunle! Professor Oloyede ran University of Ilorin as a model for the Nigerian university system and served dutifully as chairman of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities and at the continental level, as president of the Association of African Universities.

    “He is a no-nonsense, clear-headed scholar, who is globally consulted on higher education matters, including issues dealing with admitting quality students which fit in with the JAMB mandate. I am convinced that he will smoothen the rough edges of the unfortunate furore around the 2016 admission exercise.

    “On the matter of the relevance of JAMB, I am unshaken in my belief that at this time in the nation’s higher education development, JAMB is still a relevant player.

    “The important thing is for JAMB not to overstep its bounds by infringing on those areas where the universities should exercise their autonomy. Post-UTME, as originally conceived in 2004, not in its adulterated form, is still a must if we are to get better quality students for our higher education system.

    “Rather than shut the door on Post-UTME, we should scape off whatever the universities are not doing right and not throw the baby away with the bath water.”

  • The JAMB we want, by stakeholders

    The JAMB we want, by stakeholders

    Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registrar, Prof Dibu Ojerinde, was arguably the biggest of the 17 heads of parastatals sent packing by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday.

    He was replaced with fomer University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) vice-chancellor, Prof Is-haq Oloyede.

    Before Ojerinde’s exit, JAMB had been enmeshed in controversy since February when the 2016 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) was conducted.

    Ojerinde was appointed JAMB registrar in 2007 after spending eight years at the National Examinations Council (NECO).  His tenure was renewed for another five years in 2012.  It was under him that JAMB introduced the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode and biometric registration to check examination malpractice.

    This year’s UTME was the second to be conducted wholly with computers nationwide.   Under the CBT regime, the problem ceased being of examination malpractice, which was the case in the past.  This time, the problems included system failure, power supply, and timing/sudden change of examination centres that affected candidates’ ability to complete the examination within stipulated time.  There were also issues with the results released, including the addition of 40 marks to the scores of some candidates, and the release of multiple results.

    The board was forced to reschedule examinations for some candidates who missed the test because of last-minute centre change.  Ojerinde also acknowledged that some members of staff of the board fraudulently accredited CBT centres that were not up to standard for the examination.

    The dust was yet to settle on the UTME issue when the Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu, on June 2 scrapped the post-UTME screening introduced in 2004 to ensure that only credible candidates were admitted into the universities.  Adamu insisted that admission should be done only on the basis of merit, catchment and educationally less developed areas, as stipulated by the law.

    Many stakeholders felt the move would give more power to JAMB. Shortly afterwards, JAMB came up with a point-based system on the basis of which candidates would be eligible for admission.  The system assigned points to candidates’ Ordinary level and UTME results.  Only candidates considered eligible by JAMB and given admission letters could undergo pre-admission screening.  The point-based system was shot down, with JAMB denying responsibility for it.  However, the board still planned to send admission lists to institutions for consideration.  Already, some candidates had received text messages posting them to private institutions other than their preferred choices.  On Sunday, JAMB withdrew the lists to allow “the university senate to perform its statutory responsibility of conducting the selection of candidates.”

     

     Reactions trail the change

    Many stakeholders in the education sector seem to be happy with Ojerinde’s exit.

    While the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said he was unconcerned about the people involved, he said JAMB had operated beyond its legal mandate.

    Ogunyemi, who teaches at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, accused JAMB of taking over the job of universities’ Senate and also “amassing wealth” without subjecting its book to scrutiny as a public institution.

    “We should not really talk about individuals but institutions. JAMB went beyond the limit of its power, proceeded to assign to itself the job of the Senates of universities and began to perform it.

    “JAMB is to screen candidates applying for admission to the universities and set the minimum criteria or conditions to be met by them and then allow the Senate to finally determine who should be admitted.

    “But has gone beyond the dictate of the law. What happened to the so much money they have collected (from applicants)?  JAMB is a public institution, it should therefore open its record for close scrutiny,” he said.

    For the proprietor of Taidob College, Abeokuta, Dr Abayomi Jiboku, the change was necessary given the lengthy period Ojerinde had served as JAMB Registrar.

    Secondary school teacher, Mrs. Stella Giwa, shares his view, adding that staying long in such office makes one begin to abuse the power of the office.

    Mr Fred Usoh, a parent resident in Calabar, said Ojerinde courted controversy, praising the President’s decision to change him.

    He said: “It was under his tenure as registrar that JAMB was fraught with the most controversies it had ever had since its establishment. So taking him out I believe was the right thing to do if the essence of the institution was to be preserved. For instance, they caused national embarrassment to Nigeria during the last UTME exams and just recently a list of successful UTME candidates that was earlier sent to all higher institutions were withdrawn without a cogent reason. With so many policies not well thought through, going back and forth, so much confusion, anger and unnecessary pain on students and parents because of the examination, I believe President Buhari took the right step here.”

    National President of the All Nigerian Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Mr Anselm Izuagie, said one of Ojerinde’s undoing was not giving government the true picture of situations on ground.

    “One of his (Ojerinde’s) problems is that he was not forthright in presenting a clear cut ideas on what government should do.  For instance, look at the scrapping of the Post-UTME. The announcement confused many institutions who up till then had seen that exercise as the only means by which they screen quality students into their system since JAMB has failed to do that. Despite government order, many universities still went ahead to conduct screening though in varying ways,” he said.

    However, an Education Analyst in Niger State, Miss Sofia Yaman, praised Ojerinde for introducing 21st century technology to the board during his tenure, which made people computer literate and led to results being released faster.

    “In my opinion, the achievements of Prof Ojerinde were more than his failures. He made people, even those who were not computer literate to upgrade their knowledge of computer. He created the avenue for the commencement of e-examination which many other agencies are now following.”

    Former Principal of King’s College, Otunba Dele Olapeju also praised Ojerinde’s innovations, saying: “Dibu Ojerinde was very innovative during his tenure. He was my lecturer in the university. I give him kudos for his good works on improving JAMB, especially for embracing technology through the CBT.”

     

    Should JAMB be scrapped?

    The change in mantle of leadership raises questions again about the relevance of the body in conducting examinations for admissions into tertiary institutions.  While some respondents said the board had outlived its usefulness, others said it has not.

    JAMB was established by Act No 2 of 1978 following the uncoordinated process of admitting students into the then existing seven universities.  All institutions conducted their own examinations and stakeholders then felt a need to make the process more seamless and centralised.

    Prof Ogunyemi, ASUU President, said the union is yet to decide whether JAMB should indeed go.

    “Many people are calling for the scrapping of JAMB but we in ASUU have not finalised on that. Before we talk about scrapping it, we should consider the motives behind its establishment.

    “For examples, JAMB was set up to address many issues such as the issue of educationally disadvantaged states. JAMB’s duty is to moderate the application of that and we should not disregard that, so we should balance the call for its scrapping with the reasons for bringing it into existence,” he said.

    Mr Isoh, also does not think JAMB should be scrapped.

    He said: “I do not support the call for the scrapping of JAMB because it is still very relevant. I only believe like I said earlier that a lot of things have to be properly streamlined. The policies should be friendly to the common man, but not to the point of compromising standards. We have used JAMB over the years for admission and it had worked just fine. I don’t think a few bad policies introduced by a few people should destroy the essence of the entire institution.”

    However, Vice Chancellor Ezekiah University, Umudi, Prof Emeka Ezeonu, feels JAMB is rested for good.

    “I think it has come to a stage where we have to review the law setting up JAMB. I think it is about time JAMB is laid to rest and Nigeria should also join the rest of the world in adopting global best practices.

    “Education is on the concurrent list and I do not see why Federal Government should dictate how private and state-owned universities should conduct admissions .  Universities should be allowed to recruit their students  via any criteria they deem fit as it was once done,” he said.

    A student attending a university in Abia State (names withheld), also says JAMB should go.

    “I am therefore calling for the scrapping of JAMB as it has outlived its usefulness to the people of Nigeria, especially those who are seeking for admission into the universities.  We should revert back to the old system where universities conduct their own entrance examinations, as such university would want to defend the integrity of their institutions by admitting those who are qualified and who can defend their certificates at the end of the academic sessions,” he said.

     

    Can Oloyede make a difference?

    Oloyede is credited for achieving a lot during his tenure as UNILORIN vice chancellor, particularly maintaining a stable academic calendar.  There are mixed feeling about the difference he can make in JAMB.

    ASUU President is not optimistic about his appointment.  He said based on Oloyede’s frosty relationship with ASUU while he was VC, not much should be expected.

    “Our relationship with him does not suggest he can do better, so, we should leave that to time to sort out,” he said.

    A Lecturer at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Mr. Medayese Samuel, said that Oleyede is not the best candidate for the job especially as he has no technical-know-how and is not an ardent administrator.

    “I do not see Professor Oloyede as an administrator who should be kept in the helms of affairs of JAMB but politicians have their way and what they look at. I doubt the capacity of Oloyede to head a critical educational sector like JAMB. With the way he almost militarize UNIILORIN when he was VC, one wonders how he will transform JAMB into in a few years.”

    However, Yaman believes that if he could be the VC of the UNIILORIN, then he will know what will be good for the students adding that people may give more credibility to JAMB given Oloyede’s record of discipline.

    If Oloyede is to succeed, chairman of The Ambassadors School, Ota in Ogun State, Mr Samson Oshewa, said he would need to listen to people, a virtue he said Ojerinde did not possess.

    “He (Ojerinde) does not listen to people.  The new person should listen to ideas from other people.  Also, they need to do only what they have mastered very well.  If you want to import things from abroad, import the technology, not the madness,” he said.

     

  • Buhari fires JAMB chief Ojerinde, 16 others

    Buhari fires JAMB chief Ojerinde, 16 others

    •Okojie bows out of NUC

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday sacked 16 heads of key agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education.

    The affected agencies are the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the Universal Basic Education Commission ( UBEC), National Examinations Council (NECO), Tertiary Education Trust Fund( TETFUND) and 12others.

    But the President replaced the 16 vacancies and appointed a new Executive Secretary for the National Universities Commission( NUC) whose former boss, Prof. Julius Okojie completed his two-term tenure last week.

    Top on the list of the appointees is the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede who is now JAMB Registrar..

    A statement from the Ministry of Education said: “The President has approved the appointment of 17 new Chief Executives of Parastatals and Agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education with effect from Monday, August 01, 2016.

    “The new 17 new appointees are:

    • National Universities Commission (NUC) – Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed
    • Nigerian Institute for Education Planning and Administration – Prof, Mrs. Lilian Salami
    • Universal Basic Education Commission – Dr. Hameed Bobboyi
    • National library of Nigeria – Prof Lanre Aina
    • National Examinations Council – Prof Charles Uwakwe
    • National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal education – Prof Abba Haladu
    • Nomadic Education Commission – Prof Bashir Usman
    • National Business and technical Examinations Board – Prof Isioma Isiugo-Abanihe
    • Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria – Prof Sunday Josiah Ajiboye
    • Computer Registration Council of Nigeria – Afolabi Aderinto
    • National Commission for Colleges of Education – Prof Bappah Aliyu
    • Tertiary Education Trust Fund – Dr. Abdullahi Bichi Baffa
    • National Teachers Institute – Prof Garba Dahuwa Azare
    • Librarian Registration Council of Nigeria(LRCN)- Prof Michael Afolabi
    • National Mathematical Centre – Prof Steven Ejugwu Onah
    • Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB – Prof Ishaq Oloyede
    • National Institute of Nigerian Languages – Prof Chinyere Ohiri-Aniche. achieve much because of team work.

    The statement said “the  17 new CEOs are invited to a meeting with the Minister on Tuesday (today) in Abuja.”

    Prof Julius Okojie yesterday completed his tenure as executive secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC) after serving two terms of five years.

    Okojie handed over to Prof. Chiedu Mafiana, deputy executive secretary 1, who would operate in an acting capacity.

    Okojie was appointed on August 3, 2006.

    He said he was able to achieve much because of team work.

     

  • UNILAG to screen candidates despite list withdrawal by JAMB, says official

    UNILAG to screen candidates despite list withdrawal by JAMB, says official

    The University of Lagos, yesterday, said it will screen prospective candidates for admission into the 2016/2017 academic session as scheduled.

    Deputy Registrar (Information), Mr Toyin Adebule, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    Adebule spoke against the backdrop of withdrawal of admission lists by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), earlier sent to universities.

    JAMB, in the statement, signed by Head of Media and Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said the withdrawal was to ensure that the senate of each university performs its statutory functions.

    NAN reports that UNILAG, last month, announced that it would screen candidates, who chose the institution as first choice with a cut-off point of 200 and above, on Wednesday and Thursday.

    “We want to inform the public that our screening for candidates to be admitted for the 2016/17 academic session, will still hold as scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday.

    “It is true that JAMB had sent a list to us, which it had considered as those who met our cut-off point.

    “It is this same list that it had withdrawn to allow the universities carry out their admission process as required by the law setting up their senates.

    “There are statutory functions meant for university senates, among which admissions is a part.

    “It is only after selecting the candidates for admission that the senate refers the list to JAMB for confirmation in line with the admission criteria of merit, catchment and educationally-disadvantaged states.

    “And so, it is only proper for JAMB to have taken this step, realising that it had taken over the job of the universities’ senates,’’ he told NAN.

    Adebule, however, added that the withdrawal did not interfere with UNILAG’s proposed plan to screen candidates.

    He reiterated that candidates would be screened based on authenticity of their results and their course combination.

     

  • JAMB withdraws admission lists

    JAMB withdraws admission lists

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) yesterday announced the withdrawal of the lists of recommended candidates for admission it earlier sent to tertiary institutions for consideration.

    In a statement issued in Abuja by its Head of Media, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB explained that the withdrawal was to allow the screening of candidates based on the criteria set by Education Minister Mallam Adamu Adamu by the Senate of universities.

    The criteria are catchment areas, educationally disadvantaged states and merit.

    Bejamin said in the statement: “This is to ensure that the University Senate perform its statutory responsibility of conducting the selection of candidates and refer it to JAMB for confirmation in line with the admission criteria of merit, catchment and educationally disadvantaged states as directed by the Hon Minister of Education at the policy committee meeting.”

    According to the statement, “the earlier list was sent to fast track the process of admission so as to allow other tiers of institutions also conduct their admission.

    The statement added: “Candidates should not panic because this is part of the process of the 2016 admission exercise. JAMB regrets any inconvenience this decision would have caused the tertiary institutions. The Board regrets any inconvenience it’s proactive step would have caused the tertiary institutions.”

  • Our Girls; JAMB: No disadvantaged states; ‘He died in a Pothole made by thieving politicians!’

    Our Girls; JAMB: No disadvantaged states; ‘He died in a Pothole made by thieving politicians!’

    Our Girls are still missing since April 15 2014. Where are they?

    The cell phone can become be the saving grace of many potential victims of all types of crime around the world. We all remember the Naval Ratings who beat up a female driver some years ago. Across the world such videos, live or streamed on social media later have helped victims of police brutality and provide irrefutable evidence of the mechanisms of police murder and brutality. Unfortunately the I-Report message has not been given to law enforcement near you who are too slow to take on human rights as a right of the citizen to be protected, not ignored. Many of us have seen the video of, and many are aware through friends in the uniformed ranks, of the brutality meted out to military and police recruits and ‘other ranks’ by their training officers. This violence must stop. Teaching endurance and discipline is not by physical beating and such evil is only transferred to the citizenry.

    More JAMB palaver! How can we still have EDUCATIONALLY DISADVANTAGED STATES so long after free primary and free secondary education and so long after JAMB and UBE and SPEB have launched serial annual avalanches of funds at buying books and equipment and sports equipment and child and teacher friendly? Publish what each state has received during the last 30 years against spending on education, number of primary and secondary students and performance at primary school leaving certificate and NECO and WESC and GCE Level. There is no longer a single educationally disadvantaged state. There are disadvantaged students, abandoned victims of massive chronic systematic political and state education ministry corruption involving inflated unpurchased procurement and bribes for booklists. What manner of sovereign responsible country, not at war, with supposedly mentally normal people in power, parents all, would entrench a lack of books and chairs and desks in pigsties for schools as the norm for the children of their state? The Bible says it is better for a millstone to be tied placed around your neck and you be thrown into the sea than you harm one hair on a child’s head. And Parent Teacher Associations are silent. We have therefore bred a generation of mostly reactionary undereducated youth and we are already reaping the ‘rewards’ from such youth. Do George, Ogunlewe, Obanikoro and a host of former Federal Government surrogate spoilers not owe our children an apology and be prosecuted for anti-state activities on account for their negative antics?

    A country in which the best buildings are well known corrupt bank buildings but not the Museums and Exhibition centres built for the children is designed to fail. Too few have built anything for the people since 1999; PZ Cussons Educare Trust Youth Centres is one! During that time, I was begging publicly that the LGAs and the billions wasted on ‘Instant Millionaire’ philosophy could have set up ONE YOUTH CENTRE IN EACH OF THE 16,400 WARDS, the political unit of Nigeria to empower the youth locally. The money is misplaced and even now stolen!

    The Vice-President Prof Osinbajo has expressed a marked reluctance to endorse ‘national restructuring’ and the subsequent redistribution of the ‘assets and authority’ of the Nigerian estate among the three tiers of government. This need was so eloquently and vociferously articulated during any opportunity most recently at all national conferences. This is an unfortunate executive ‘death blow’ where other corrective efforts have fallen to corruption at every level, repeatedly.

    The sad comments reported on the condition of Atan Cemetery are so for almost every government cemetery across Nigeria. Like private education institutions, the private cemeteries have sprung to our rescue but Ikoyi Cemetery has as many problems as Atan Cemetery in terms of layout and lack of access.

    The political class, of every political party and manifesto, at every level, is dwelling in a self-aggrandisement that has brought financial and economic ruin to Nigeria and prevented her hard-working Nigerian institutions and professionals from dragging it into the 21st century democratic environment. Yes Nigeria is in turmoil, financially and economically, food, jobs, power and potholes to name a few. But why do many Nigerians place the current troubles at the doorstep of this government?  Surely they should look over their shoulder to see where we have been coming from –increasing oil prices, increasing corruption, but hardly a single real people’s project executed since 1999 for the trillions earned and spent. Common potholes still kill, murder or maim on almost every expressway in Nigeria including the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. We as a country inherited ‘PWD TEAMS FOR INSTANT POTHOLE FILLING! But we prefer to allow roads to decay so that we can have chop-chop ‘contract awarding ceremonies’  to flag off the ‘Corruption of the Contract’  rather than the emergency life-saving measures like the job-creation action of having 10,000 TEAMS OF THREE MEN AND A WHEELBARROW AND SOME TAR AND A HEAVY ROLLER. EVERY POTHOLE LIVES NEAR A VILLAGE WITH VILLAGERS EASILY TRAINED AND PAID AND MOTIVATED TO DO LOCAL MAINTENANCE WORK. THIS IS THE CHANGE WE EXPECTED AND IT HAS NOT COME YET!

    The murderous potholes, powerlessness, salarylessness, nairavalulessness, secondNigerbridgelessness, joblessness, pensionlessness, politicalleaderlessness all add up to stressfullness. We are in the era of ….’lessnessnesses’. Nigerians must stop dying in potholes. For how long will Nigerians tell God and their grandchildren ‘He died in a pothole made by a thieving NASS’?