CORP MEMBER, OTHERS NABBED FOR REGISTRATION INFRACTIONS
…Donates Fingers for Candidate
The 2023 Registration Monitoring Team of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) led by its Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, was in Kano State eaier in the week, where he nabbed the registration officers of some accredited Computer-Based Test Centres for registration infractions.
One of the culprits a corp member, who is serving at the Federal College of Education, Kano, and engaged by the College PTDF-ICT CBT Centre; and a graduate of Engineering, who also works at the Centre as a registration officer, were caught after they had added one of their fingers to complete the ten fingers of some candidates they registered.
The team also apprehended four other registration officers at Butale Information Technology CBT Centre. All the arrested registration officers would be profiled and prosecuted if necessary in line with relevant laws guiding identity theft.
The team was earlier in Lagos to monitor the registration exercise in the State. It was in Lagos that the team had ordered the immediate suspension of some ePIN vendors for extortion of innocent candidates participating in the ongoing 2 0 2 3 UTME registration exercise nationwide. The Registrar described the acts of these vendors as very unfortunate, particularly the involvement of one of the major and otherwise respected banks.
Prof. Oloyede urged candidates, who desired to sit the 2023 UTME to note that the registration fee with Mock-UTME remains N6,700; and N5,700 without Mock-UTME.
According to the Registrar, this fees are inclusive of all charges, hence candidates are not to pay a dime for anything at any CBT centres.
He stated that the Board would continue to monitor the exercise physically and remotely. He called on all Nigerians to report any illegalities to the Board or security agencies if any vendor asked them to pay anything above the prescribed fee or if a centre were to ask for payment before registering candidates.
Candidates are also requested to be conscious of extant registration guidelines which require that only their fingers should be captured for biometric verification. They are to note that the addition of any other finger(s) by other individuals would jeopadise their chances of sitting the examination and also lead to prosecution as collaborators in identity theft.
In case of difficulty in capturing any of the fingers of a candidate, the Board requires the registration officer to forward appropriate report to the National Headquarters, Abuja.
The Board also announced that it would, in conjunction with the Federal Competition and Consummer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and other relevant agencies, continue to monitor the registration exercise across the country with a view to ensuring that Nigerians, who desire to participate in the exercise are not exploited, frustrated or misled into mutilating their data.
2023 UTME REGISTRATION CLOSES ON 14TH FEBRUARY, 2023
ALL 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) are urged to immediately create their profiles and proceed to complete their registration as the sale of ePINs closes on Tuesday, 14th February, 2023. It would be recalled that the sale of the 2023 UTME commenced on Saturday, 14th January, 2023, and is set to close on Tuesday, 14th of February, 2023.
The Board has noticed a drop in the number of candidates at registration centres and hope there will not be any late surge as no extension whatsoever will be countenanced.
Prospective candidates are to note that the UTME calendar is planned in such a way as to create a window for other examination bodies to also perform their statutory roles.
It is expedient for the Board to remind all prospective candidates to take advantage of the near empty registration centres to register now rather than wait till the last minute to mount undue pressure on the system.
CHAMPIONING THE CAUSE OF ELECTRONIC VOTING IN JICCS (JAMB)
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB) has, over time, taken full advantage of technology in addressing extant and seemingly intractable challenges of national dimension.
The result is that the Board is today deemed as a pacesetter in the application of technology in ensuring that the sanctity of its processes are upheld thereby enhancing their credibility.
Today, there is hardly any aspect of the Board’s operations that has not benefited from the application of relevant and state-of-the-art technology. This track record of achievements of the Board through the diligent adoption and implementation of relevant technology is why the editorial team of JAMBulletin deems it right to call on the management of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s Staff Investment and Credit Cooporative Society Limited (JICCS) and the general membership of the body to consider the adoption of electronic voting to elect its leaders.
By so doing, the society would be demonstrating one of the key principles of the Board, which is inclusiveness through the agency of electronic voting.
For one, this system would add credibility to the whole process, enhance its acceptability and prevent all the shenanigans that is associated with previous exercises where at each election year there would be accusations and counter accusations of attempts by some staff to manipulate the voting process.
It should be noted that the Cooperative and Investment body draws its membership from staff of the Board spread across the 36 States of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory.
However, based on available records, in the last two decades of the body’s existence, its leadership has always been elected by less than10% of the total population of its membership.
This situation is certainly not inclusive enough as it deprives the body of the facility of a competitive selection process.
Given the urgent need for the adoption of global best practices in its processes as far as inclusive leadership is concerned, it is only necessary that the body begins to align itself with the technological posture of the Board as it will be unthinkable for one of its organs to be steeped in outdated practices, which have, times without number, denied many of its financial members the ability to vote.
The electronic voting system is not new to the Nigerian system as the Nigerian Bar Association with branches in the 774 Local Governments of the Federation has successfully adopted the method with positive outcomes just as the CBN and the EFCC staff cooperative societies are among thrift bodies that have keyed into this technology and are, as a consequence, getting their leadership elected by the vast majority of their members.
Therefore, the current management of JICCS should, as a matter of necessity, set in motion a process to ensure that the November, 2023 election of new executives is inclusive enough to allow all willing members of the society to vote across the 36 State Offices of the Board including the FCT. Only this can give full legitimacy to the leadership that would emerge.
Also, as the next AGM of the society is scheduled for Wednesday, 8th February, 2023, members are urged to demand that a provision is adopted for their colleagues in the outstations to make inputs on who becomes what in the next management of the society.
The challenge of electing a President and Secretary outside the National Headquarters is something that could be addressed with time.
For now, the leadership can be restricted to only staff at the National Headquaters to address the issue of where the President or Secretary would come from.
With time, this can be looked into by way of making necessary engagement with the leadership of the Board to see how all shades of interests can be accommodated.
This, if achieved, would have placed the society on the same pedestal with others who have taken that path and succeeded at it. The present leadership of the society would have also written its name in gold as the set that made the impossible possible.
JAMB SERVICOM COMMENCES SENSITISATION CAMPAIGN ON 2023 UTME/DE REGISTRATION IN EKITI
As part of its continuous efforts to improve service delivery across its facilities, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has launched a unique identification T-shirt for all SERVICOM staff nationwide.
This laudable measure is borne out of the desire of the Board to ensure a more cordial customer service relations through the provision of efficient service delivery during the 2023 UTME/DE registration exercise and beyond.
The Ekiti State Office was not left out as the SERVICOM staff adorned themselves in the branded T-shirts that read: “Ask me” as they attend to prospective candidates in the State.
It is noteworthy to also know that this development has attracted commendations from a cross-section of Nigeria. While Ekiti State indigenes are applauding JAMB for a seamless service delivery, parents and guidians also commended the initiative as it had been of tremendous help in navigating the registration process in the State Office. In his interactions, Mr. Eluyinka Kayode, Ekiti State Branch Manager of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, expressed appreciation to the management of the Board for repositioning the body for the 21st century.
He pointed out that the rebranding of the SERVICOM Unit had gone a long way in engendering prompt response to candidates’ enquiries as well as increasing the speed of service delivery.
In his remarks, the Desk Officer, Ekiti State Office, Mr. Abdul Rasaq Olarenwaju Bhadmus, lauded the Board for repositioning the SERVICOM Unit for a more robust and productive service environment.
2023 UTME: INCLUSIVITY POLICY OF THE BOARD HAS CHANGED THE NARRATIVES FOR PRISON INMATES – ADEBIYI
In continuation of his advocacy visits in respect of the ongoing 2023 UTME/DE registration exercise, the Abia State Coordinator, Mr. Johnson Adebiyi, has paid a working visit to the Nigerian Correctional Service, Umuahia, to sensitise qualified Prison Inmates on the need to register for the ongoing 2023 UTME/DE registration. According to the State Coordinator, the visit was to acquaint the Inmates with the facilities put in place by the Board to ensure a seamless registration and examination exercises for candidates with special needs in the 2023 UTME.
He stated that the advocacy visit was meant to enlighten the Prison Inmates on the requirements for the 2023 UTME/DE registration along with the waivers provided for Inmates that meet extant admission criteria put in place by both the Board and the Managements of Tertiary Institutions across the country.
One of the facilities outlined by him was that the Board and the Institutions had resolved that all Foreign, Blind, Deaf and Prison Inmates are to be exempted from all pre-admission screening tests in their institutions of choice.
He added that for every year preceding the admission exercise, the lists of respective special needs candidates would be made available to the various Tertiary Institutions for guidance and necessary action.
The State Coordinator submitted that the special waiver is an affirmative action meant to accommodate candidates with special needs. He stressed that the Board and the Tertiary Institutions would ensure that special needs candidates, who meet the specified minimum requirements are admitted and their progress monitored in the various institutions for confirmation of the effectiveness of the policy as directed by the 2021 Policy Meeting.
Furthermore, Mr. Adebiyi stated that the Board had put in place adequate measures to guard against some candidates taking undue advantage of the waiver.
He added that the Board had, through the policy, helped to place Prison Inmates into tertiary institutions of their choice, thereby enabling them to help themselves, their families and communities, after the completion of their prison terms.
In his remarks, the Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service Umuahia, Mr. Anthony Ubaike, expressed gratitude to the State Coordinator for the advocacy and promised him to take all measures to ensure the readiness of qualified Inmates to take advantage of the window of opportunity provided by the Board and the Tertiary Institutions in the country.
CBT: JAMB TRAINS NAFDAC OFFICIALS ON TEST DEVELOPMENT, SERVER SECURITY
In furtherance of its determination to adopt electronic mode of testing in the conduct of its promotion and recruitment examinations, the officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), have undergone requisite training at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on test development and server security.
The training was aimed at consolidating on the earlier workshop the officials had undergone on test construction and validation the previous week.
Declaring the training open, the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, who was represented on the occasion by the Director, Information Technology Services (ITS), Mr. Fabian Okoro, said JAMB and NAFDAC along with some other agencies, had been partnering for sometimes in their conduct of promotion and recruitment examinations.
The Director said there is need for NAFDAC to sensitise its staff on the prerequisites for migration from paper pencil to Computer-Based Test(CBT) as well as allaying the fears that some of them might have been entertaining concerning the new regime.
He added that the knowledge acquired from the training would be beneficial for the smooth take-off of the programme as the organisation would have acquired requisite skills for the conduct of its selection and promotion examinations.
He tasked the agency to share the information that CBT is not only reliable but simple to implement. He urged the Agency to enlighten its staff through virtual meetings while making provisions for mock examinations to acquint its workforce with the system.
In his remarks, the representative of the Director-General, NAFDAC, and leader of the delegation, Mr. Joseph Ayinla, said the training was in realisation of the April, 2023 deadline given by the Agency’s management for the implementation of CBT for the conduct of all its promotion and recruitment examinations.
He said staff would be sensitised through the Zoom App in collaboration with JAMB on the implementation of CBT by the Agency while also getting its centres ready for mock examinations and other pre-test exercises. Mr. Ayinla said the members of the delegation were better equipped to embrace CBT adding that they would report back to the Agency on the next line of action particularly as regards item generation and moderation.
During the training, Participants were taken through such topics as “Test Development for CBT and Security of Examination/JAMB CBT Interphase, Practicals on Test Construction and Processing”, among others.
At the end of the training, participants were grouped into seven syndicate groups to construct test items, which we re adjudged to be good and professionally constructed. The training was jointly anchored by the Direc tor (ITS) and Direc tor Test development, Mr. David Akanbi.
ADELEKE CHARGES CBT CENTRES ON PROFESSIONALISM AND TRANSPARENCY
The Ag. Director, Ibadan Zonal Office of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Mrs. Olajumoke Adeleke, has taken an official tour of the CBT centres across Oyo State to monitor the ongoing 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in order to assess the level of compliance with the Board’s guidelines and its ”No Extortion of Candidates” policy by any entity under whatever guise.
The Ag. Director, while speaking with JAMBulletin in Ibadan the previous week, articulated the essence of the tour stressing that the Board would not tolerate extortion of its candidates.
Furthermore, Mrs. Adeleke echoed the Board’s warning to all CBT centres across the countr y against engaging in unprofessional practices. According to her, “All JAMB accredited CBT centres should key into the vision of the Board and eschew any unwholesome or unprofessional conduct.”
The Ag. Director also frowned at infractions capable of hampering the success of the ongoing 2023 UTME registration exercise. She urged all to shun infractions bordering on acts of extortion, unauthorised data collection, biometric manipulations, and illegal movement of the operational routers, among others.
According to her, all acts of illegalities not only affect the candidates but also undermine the credibility of the Board. She also reminded centre owners of the consequences of flouting the Board’s directives on the ongoing registration exercise, adding that the Board would not hesitate to sanction any erring CBT centre.
UTME CANDIDATES GET FREE UTME ePINS
The House of Assembly member representing Irepodun/Orile Constituency of Osun State, Hon. Nasiru Babatunde Olateju, has purchased the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration ePINs for 40 randomly-selected candidates from his constituency.
Mr. Olateju purchased the symbolical ePINs for the candidates at his residence in Ilobu during the sensitization programme he organized for prospective 2023 UTME candidates recently.
It would be recalled that the Honourable Member had invited the Osun State Office of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, (JAMB) to give a sensitization talk on the ongoing 2023 registration exercise as well as the upcoming examination.
Also invited was Prof. Sulaimon Bisi Ajala, a Professor of Archeology and Anthropology, University of Ibadan, who gave a career talk to the attendees. According to Hon. Olateju, the programme was organized to give back to his constituency and advance national development through the facilitation of sound education.
He urged the candidates to keep their hopes alive, be of good conduct at all times, and take their studies seriously.
In his speech, the Osun State Coordinator, Mr. Babatunde Jacob, disclosed that the first step expected of a prospective JAMB candidate was to obtain his/her National Identification Number (NIN) from the National Identification Management Commission (NIMC).
According to the State Coordinator, “obtaining NIN is a prerequisite to generating a profile code that would be used to purchase an ePIN, which would eventually be utilised to register for the UTME.”
Mr. Jacob admonished the candidates to supply appropriate personal information to NIMC to avoid frivolous applications for change of personal data as the Board does not condone the alteration of candidates’ details received from NIMC.
Furthermore, he urged candidates, who engage in activities that involve the dipping of their hands in corrosive substances to take adequate precautions so as not to destroy the whorls of their fingers noting that such could bring about biometric verification problems during registration or examination.
On the steps to be followed to login to the examination page on the day of the examination, Mr. Jacob explained that the UTME is designed to be user-friendly. As such, if a candidate does not know how to navigate the page with a mouse, he could use the 9 keys on the keyboard. “Keys A, B, C, D, are used to select the correct options. “P” is used to return to previous questions, “N” for next question, “S” to submit after the examination, “R” to return to the examination, and “Y” to confirm submission,” he stated.
The Coordinator cautioned prospective candidates against going to examination centres in indecent dressings or with prohibited items. He admonished them to eschew examination malpractice and be punctual at their examination centres on their examination dates.
In his closing remarks, the State Coordinator enjoined the attendees to register for the exercise as soon as possible as the closing date for the ongoing registration remained 14th February, 2023, adding that the Board had no intention of extending it.
In his remarks, Prof. Ajala expressed his admiration for the sophisticated operational processes deployed by the Board. He confessed that all the stated facilities were not available when he sat the UME (as the UTME was then known) many years ago. He praised the JAMB Management under the leadership of the Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, for his numerous innovative strategies.