JAMBULLETIN

JAMB VISITS UCAS

A four men delegation from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) led by its Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, was at the Headquarters of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) in the United Kingdom to discuss some mutual beneficial issues that are geared towards enhancing the smooth operations of the Board.

As is the case with JAMB, UCAS provides a central service between applicants and universities in the United Kingdom. Consequently, all applications for full[1]time undergraduate courses in the UK must be submitted through UCAS, which in turn, pass them on to the  individual institutions selected by candidates.

It should be recalled that when Nigeria wanted to have a central body for its admissions, a committee was formed to advise government on the way forward and one of the members of the committee was Mr. L.R Kay, the Secretary of the then Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA), which was later to become UCAS in 1993.

It was precisely for this reason that the Board, compares notes on professional or technical challenges, with the UK body.

It was, therefore, in trying to forge a pathway to better enhance its operations that the Board paid a scheduled visit to UCAS. Similarly, the delegation also visited the International Alumni of Non-Nigerians, who attended Nigerian universities in Manchester. Other members of the Board’s delegation included the Director, Finance & Accounts, Mr. Mufutau Bello; Mr. Fabian Okoro, Director, Information Technology Services; and the Director, Admissions, Mr. Muhammed Babaji Ahmed.

NIGERIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER TO UK LAUDS OLOYEDE’S ACHIEVEMENTS, CENTRE DRIVE

…Says He is an Example of Leadership

The Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, His Excellency, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Ishola, has commended the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede for his resilience, prudence, integrity, innovation and loyalty to the Board.

The High Commissioner gave this commendation when the Registrar paid him a courtesy visit on Friday, 27th January, 2023, at the Nigerian High Commission in London.

The High Commissioner described Prof. Oloyede as a symbol of all that is good citing the legacies he bequeathed while he held sway as the Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, which he noted had earned the University commendable ranking and recognition on the global stage.

Ambassador Ishola said the cordial relationship between the students and the university authorities under his leadership gave rise to the uncommon feats recorded during his tenure as the students saw him as a father, brother and a friend.

His Excellency also stated that he was not surprised that such feat was and is being replicated in JAMB, which along with unprecedented innovations, had substantially and positively changed its narratives.

He also commended Prof. Oloyede for his humility, which according to him is uncommon in a person so highly placed adding that the country would continue to celebrate him.

Earlier, the Registrar had expressed appreciation to the High Commissioner for the warm reception accorded him and members of his delegation in addition to creating time to personally receive them in spite of his tight schedule.

He said his mission was to discuss with the High Commissioner on the possibility of scouting for a centre to partner with the Board for the conduct of UTME in the United Kingdom, identify what is needed, while the High Commissioner would be expected to sign an MoU on behalf of the Board with such a centre on a wide range of issues ranging from registration to examination of prospective candidates.

He also urged His Excellency to assign a Desk Officer from the High Commission to serve as the Liaison Officer between the centre and the Board.

Prof. Oloyede also expressed appreciation for the constant support rendered by the High Commission in all its outings in the United Kingdom especially with regard to the conduct of the 2022 UTME in London.

He noted that with the coming on stream of the proposed centre, the services of the Board would be brought closer to the end users in the United Kingdom. He also briefed the High Commissioner about the scheduled meeting with the Universities and Colleges Admissions Services of the United Kingdom on areas of mutual benefit.

PROF. OLOYEDE DOES NOT OPERATE ANY SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

The attention of the Board has been drawn to a LinkedIn account purported to be the account of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, and sending friend requests to members of the public. This is a ploy initiated with the sole aim of defrauding gullible members of the public.

The Board wishes to state that Prof. Is-haq Oloyede does not own or operate any social media account and neither has he asked anybody to open or manage one on his behalf. LinkedIn is a social networking site designed specifically for the business community.

As such, it should be noted that the goal of the site is to enable registered users to connect with people they know and trust professionally.

Prof. Oloyede does not belong to this class of individuals nor intend to join. This disclaimer became necessary in view of some unscrupulous elements, who have purportedly opened a LinkedIn account on his behalf to hoodwink unsuspecting members of the public with their bogus claims of the erudite professor helping to network business enterprises, managing careers, providing jobs, running a research firm or connecting people with business contacts of firms or industry through the account.

The Board urges the general public to be wary of these criminal elements so as not to fall victims to the scammers.

JAMB SUSPENDS E-TRANZACT

In furtherance of its zero tolerance for I exploitation of candidates, who desire to partake in the Board’s processes, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the immediate suspension of one of its major vendors, eTranzact, from further engaging in the vending of the 2023 UTME ePINs.

Evidence available to the Board showed that some of the agents of eTransact such as Embassy Cafe have been vending the 2023 UTME ePINs above the prescribed fee.

This suspension is sequel to the flouting of the Board’s ground rule that no vendor is allowed to sell above the prescribed fee. It should be recalled that the Board had made it abundantly clear that to be listed as a vending outlet, a vendor would not be allowed to sell a dime above the approved fee.

Furthermore, to ensure that all vendors play by the rules, the Board had approved a handsome commission for them per each ePIN vended.

The Board also made it explicitly clear that the vendors would be held responsible for the actions or inactions of their agents especially as they concern the vending fee of its ePINs.

In view of the incidence of extortion perpetrated by some of its agents, eTranzact is hereby suspended from engaging in the vending of the Board’s ePINs as well as other transactions associated with the Board’s processes.

In the same vein, the Board urged candidates, who had been made to pay above the approved fee by any vendor or exploited in other ways other than inflating the cost of the ePIN to register their complaint by contacting JAMB on complaints@jamb.gov.ng and providing their ePIN.

The Board has put in a robust mechanism for continuous monitoring of the conduct of all vending outlets with a view to ensuring that Nigerians, who desire to obtain the Board’s ePINs are not exploited. All vendors are, therefore, urged to monitor the activities of their agents as the Board would not abdicate its responsibility of protecting the interests of Nigerians in getting value and services for their money.

In the same vein, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has also waded in by providing a link to also receive complaints from candidates on FCCPC. Website where candidates will state their complaints and provide their ePINs to report any incidence of exploitation they encountered.

2023 UTME: ABIA STATE COORDINATOR VISITS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

As part of the advocacy for the ongoing 2023 UTME/DE registration exercise, the Abia State Coordinator, Mr. Johnson Adebiyi, has paid a working visit to the School for the Blind, Afara, Umuahia, to sensitise eligible students of the school on the need to actively participate in the ongoing 2023 UTME/DE registration.

According to the State Coordinator, the visit was to educate the students on the tailored and user-friendly atmosphere put in place by the Board to facilitate the smooth conduct of the examination for the candidates with special needs in the 2023 UTME.

He added that in line with the Board’s policy of inclusivity, special arrangements have made by the Board to assist candidates with special needs take their UTME seamlessly. He explained that the core elements of the Board’s special needs initiative included the establishment of JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), robust public enlightenment, unprecedented logistics support, and appropriate post-test evaluation programme and stakeholder participation, among others.

Mr. Adebiyi also disclosed that the Board had also made available a list of examination town s from which candidates with special needs could choose from, preferably those ones, which are close to their homes.

He added that for candidates’ and administrative convenience, eleven examination centres have been opened across the country. These are: Abuja (FCT), Bauchi (Bauchi State), Benin (Edo State), Ado[1]Ekiti (Ekiti State), Enugu (Enugu State), Kano (Kano State), Kebbi (Kebbi State), Lagos (Lagos State), Ibadan (Oyo State), Jos (Plateau State) and Yola (Adamawa State).

According to him, the designated centres are in line with the policy thrust of the Board, which aims at foste ring inclusiveness and providing a level playing field for all its candidates.

Continuing, he said that the Board had also magnanimously approved the choice of up to three examination towns by candidates while Registration Officers are advised to indicate the nature of impairment by typing ‘BLIND’ for instance, as well as helping to enter the p referred option of sitting the examination as indicated by the candidate, which could be any of Braille, Recorded or Read Aloud.

 Apart from the Blind and Deaf, the State Coordinator also stated that provisions had also been made for the Albinos in line with their peculiar needs.

He disclosed that in line with its policy of providing logistics support to candidates with special needs, the Board would continue to sponsor them as well as their helpers to their respective examination centres to sit their examination. In her remarks, the Principal of the School for the Blind, Mrs. Celine Olugu, thanked the State Coordinator for his care and promised that the students would take advantage of the ample opportunities provided by the Board.

NASU CONGRESS COMMENDS MANAGEMENT FOR IMPROVED STAFF WELFARE

…Say “Concerned JAMB Staff” are fifth Columnists

Members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), JAMB Chapter, on Wednesday, 25th January, 2023, rose from their First Quarterly Congress to pass a resounding vote of confidence on Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and his Management Team for their untiring efforts at repositioning the Board for greater glories.

The Chairman, NASU, JAMB Chapter, Comrade Andrew Onakpa, in a statement made available to JAMBulletin, said NASU was appreciative of the priority the Management accorded staff welfare and all matters relating to the Union in general.

The statement read in parts, “NASU wishes to convey its appreciation to the Registrar and his Management Team for the constant support to the Union and making staff welfare a priority in his five[1]point agenda with the prompt payment of the 13% Month Salary Allowance to the staff of the Board.”

The Chairman said the leadership of NASU also used the opportunity afforded by the meeting to apprise its members of the untiring efforts of Management to secure necessary approvals for the upward review of the existing Examination Security and Management Incentive Allowance, which the Board had assured the staff, among others, of prompt payment once the process is completed.

The Congress commended the Registrar for his fatherly disposition borne out of his genuine desire to satisfy the yearnings of members of staff of the Board.

The Congress also dissociated itself from the unwholesome activities of the so[1]called faceless and anti-progressive elements called “Concerned JAMB staff” describing them as ingrates and fifth columnists.

The Congress affirmed its allegiance to the Registrar and his Management Team in their bid to take the Board to greater heights. The Congress-in-session also expressed its satisfaction over the successes recorded so far on the ongoing 2023 UTME Registration Exercise.