Registrar enjoins National Assembly to suspend review of JAMB’s Act

Board stops use of scratch cards

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has appealed to the National Assembly to suspend the process of amending the board’s Act.

The board said the content of the bill, as presently with the National Assembly, is a product of acrimony and if passed, would be counter-productive.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede said this while presenting a paper at the meeting of the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) in Abuja at the weekend.

The Senate had last Thursday passed a Bill to amend JAMB Act 2016.

The Act, among other things, supports that JAMB applicants who could not gain admission into their institution of choice for the examination year could be offered admission the following year with the same JAMB result, but not exceeding a period of three years.

The registrar said that the board had appealed to Senate Committee on Tertiary Education to suspend the process of the amendment and allow the board and all tertiary institutions, including the Ministry of Education and other necessary stakeholders, go back to the roundtable for discussion at a very conducive atmosphere as all have agreed to work together for the benefit of the Nigerian child.

Oloyede also appealed to the Federal Government to revert to old days where serving vice chancellors of universities were made as chairmen of the governing board of JAMB for good synergies and harmonious relationship with a view to effectively deliver on the board mandates.

He said that was the understanding of that time when only serving vice chancellors of universities were made chairmen.

“In recognition of the harmonious relationship that existed between the board and the institutions pre-1993, it may be most appropriate to revert to the early days of JAMB,” he said.

Oloyede, who assured the AVCNU of his determination to ensure a smooth relationship with all institutions for the good of the board, reiterated his earlier stand that the task of JAMB is co-ordination of admissions and not substitution of traditional responsibilities of the Senates/Academic Boards of tertiary institutions.

Meanwhile, the Registrar has disclosed that henceforth the board will discontinue the use of scratch cards for any of its services and rather use the platform of pin vending.

He stressed: “This is as a result of its consistent subjection to fraudulent practices, it is archaic and the board’s drive to also promote accountability in line with government zero-tolerance for corruption.

“This new system will be accessible through the payment options of Web payment, ATM issued cards (Visa, verve and Mastercard), online quick teller, ATM payment, quick teller mobile application and bank branch case/card.”