JAMB seeks suspension of amendment Act

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has appealed to the National Assembly to suspend the amendment of its Act.

The Senate last week began amendment of the board’s Act to extend the validity of JAMB result by three years.

JAMB’s Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede made the appeal when he visited the  Senate Committee on Tertiary Education.

Oloyede, in a statement in Abuja yesterday by its Head of Information, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said the bill was a product of acrimony and if passed would be counter-productive.

“An appeal has been made to the National Assembly to suspend the process of the amendment to allow the Board and tertiary institutions, including the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to go back to the roundtable for discussion at a conducive atmosphere, as all agreed to work together for the benefit of the Nigerian child,” the statement said.

He also called on the Federal Government to revert to making a serving vice chancellor chairman of the governing board of JAMB for harmonious relationship.

The board, he explained, was a creation of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors, adding that it will only be proper for them to be clearly recognised as active stakeholders to avoid any acrimony.

The registrar said: “Between 1977 to 1993 only serving vice-chancellors were made chairmen of the board, from Prof Oladipo Akinkugbe, VC University of Ilorin; Prof Donald Ekong, VC University of Port Harcourt; Prof Adamu Baike, VC university of Benin; Prof Mahdi Adamu, VC University of Sokoto; and Prof Isa Mohammed, VC University of Abuja.

“This practice, which promoted harmony and quality on the board’s matriculation activities have since been forgotten or neglected.

“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.”

The registrar assured the Association of Vice -Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) of his determination to ensure a smooth relationship with all institutions.

He told the AVCNU that the Board would discontinue use of scratch cards for any of its services and use the platform of pin vending.

“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 QuickTeller, ATM payment, QuickTeller mobile application and Bank Branch case /card,” the statement added.