Civil society groups tackle ASUU over reforms in JAMB

UNILORIN lecturers fault call on Oloyede to resignBy Iyabo Lawal (Lagos) and Kanayo Umeh (Abuja)

The Joint Action Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Transparency in Governance has endorsed the on-going reforms and innovations introduced by the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) to ease admission into the nation’s tertiary institutions.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, the Executive Director/Convener of the coalition, Mr. Sabo Odeh, condemned the recent attack on JAMB by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), accusing it of being allergic to reforms and innovations being introduced under the Registrar of the board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.

Odeh, who was reacting to recent call by ASUU asking for JAMB to be scrapped, said the coalition is aware of a ploy by the union to hijack the tertiary education sector.

According to him: “The clamour by ASUU that each university should be allowed to handle its own admission process is an open call to empower admission syndicates.”

Meanwhile, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) teachers have declared their support for Oloyede, dismissing the call for his resignation.The union insisted that the JAMB boss should be commended for his innovations, rather than condemned.

The leadership of the academic staff union at the University of Ibadan (UI) had called for the resignation of Oloyede, citing his poor handling of the ongoing registration exercise for prospective candidates.

But the UNILORIN ASUU described the call for Oloyede’s resignation as “laughable” and in bad faith.The union in a statement by its Chairman and Secretary, Dr. U.A Raheem and Mrs. A. Y Lewu respectively wondered why ASUU is against Oloyede’s appointment despite his positive innovations since he came on board.