The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede was a guest on Ray Power fm’s political and current affairs programme, ‘Political Platform’ where he answered and discussed a wide range of questions.
Speaking on the tendency of candidates to cheat despite reforms he has championed to curtail such, he explained :
“Even when JAMB sets-up rogue centres (to catch cheats), you find that it is these same poor people that you are fighting for, that pay N200,000 and we disqualify such students.”
The professor lamented the way parents facilitate cheating especially “mothers in particular (that are) determined to make graduates of their children at all cost”.
He expressed displeasure at the sensationalism attached to the Snake swallowing N36 million story which he explained is purely criminal and should be treated as such.
The JAMB Registrar also explained that the board is now checking accounts of fraudsters promising ‘miracle centres’ to identify candidates that have paid into those accounts to circumvent the exam process stating that; “we are now disqualifying such candidates”.
He also criticized journalists for not asking poignant questions at important times such as when some dubious officials were selling JAMB scratch card for up to N12,000 instead of N5,200 before he got appointed to the board. Responding to some of his critics who had complained about the billions he returned to government as against previous administrations at the board, he retorted: “I don’t know what they want me to do with government money”.
The major takeaway from this interview has to be that candidates need to prepare and try to pass JAMB examination without cheating because the board is serious about disqualifying cheats who are also liable for criminal prosecution.
