Tom Chiahemen
The Nigerian Government has commnded the Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board (JAMB) for remitting the sum of N5.1 billion into the federation account after conducting the 2017 University Matriculation, describing the feat as a template for other agencies to emulate.
The government said it would, indeed, use the JAMB example as a template on probity and accountability for all its agencies, most especially in the education sector such that they would be major fiscal contributors to the overall national economy.
Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu made this known in Abuja during his key note address at the just concluded Policy Meeting on 2017-2018 Admissions Exercise into tertiary institutions in Nigeria which held at the National Judicial Institute.
The Minister described the initiative by JAMB as a good response to the Change Mantra of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, stating, “JAMB has succeeded in changing the notion that government officials and public officers only hold positions of authority for personal aggrandizement.
He said, “It is a common knowledge in the public domain that JAMB has contributed the sum of N5, 177, 580, 297, 08 to the Federation Account. This unprecedented development is the result of accountability, transparency, honesty and patriotism in the re-invented board and the integrity of the new Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede.
The Minister, however, reiterated the resolve by the government to revisit the decision on cancellation of the post UMTE, explaining that the government initially halted the programme because it was subjected to gross abuse, since most institutions took it as a means of exploitation and extorting applicants.
He said although the government has agreed to allow the post-UMTE run in the universities, the programme is no longer mandatory for any institution, while the Senate of each tertiary institution holds the discretion on whether or not to embrace it while setting the parameters.
However the Registrar, Prof Oloyede announced during the event that JAMB has introduced some new measures to guide the process of admissions into tertiary institutions this year, alluding to the introduction of Central Admission Processing System, which he said would help to streamline admission procedures and processes.
JAMB, he said, agreed that henceforth, Cut Off Marks for admissions into tertiary institutions will now be flexible in which case, each institution will determine its cut off marks considered most suitable and in line set objectives.
He warned all tertiary institutions against sharp practices including offer of admissions to those who did not sit for JAMB, stressing also that the agency would no longer allow illegally admitted students to be “regularized” at the point of graduation just to meet the National Youth Corps Service (NYSC).
He also advised the Senate of each tertiary institutions to embrace openness and transparency while setting standards for admission, urging them to always make available to JAMB, any decisions they made on admission for inputs into its data base.
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