JAMB registrar seeks transparency in examination processes

The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-Haq Oloyede, has urged stakeholders in the education sector to establish a pedigree of integrity.

He urged them to do this by sticking to honesty, probity and transparency in examination processes and result computation in tertiary universities.

Oloyede, erstwhile Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, made the assertion at the annual lecture organised by the Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, on Thursday in Lagos.

The theme of the lecture was: “Normalising the Abnormal: JAMB Operations During the COVID-19 Era”.

He said that transparency in examination processes should become the new normal in our social consciousness.

“One of the fundamental impacts of COVID-19 global pandemic has been the way it has altered or rather awakened us to the alterations and mutations in our notions.

“However, hardly can it be controverted that before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, our world had actually entered or descended into the abyss of the abnormal.

“The original mandate of JAMB was assessment and ranking of prospective matriculants into tertiary institutions,” Oloyede said.

He listed the traditional methods of cheating to impersonation, collusion, examination leakages, mass cheating, smuggling of answer scripts, dubbing, among others.

“The new normals in examinations malpractices have now gone digital, they now feature illegitimate movement of routers to unregistered locations, illegal extension of registration points from the centre network to other hidden locations,” Oloyede said.

He said that JAMB had also not relented which made the board to introduce new strategies that preserve the old but preferred normal against the new normal of examination racketeers and scammers.

Oloyede said that some of the new strategies include strict identification, stringent accreditation of standard CBT centres, creation of candidate’s profile during registration, biometric capturing of the entire 10 fingers, among others.

“One of the innovative interventions by the board that have positively impacted on its mandate, particularly in ensuring seamless conduct of an integrity driven UTME has been the Central Admissions Processing Systems (CAPS).

“CAPS restored the autonomy of institutions in admission exercise, enhanced inclusiveness, allowed automation and expanded admission opportunities for candidates,“ he said.

In her opening remarks, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, LASU Vice Chancellor, said that the adaptability and dynamism needed for academics to survive in the middle of a pandemic could only complement new pedagogical strategies.

According to Olatunji-Bello, the new strategy is when every member of the academic community works with a singularity of purpose.

“As COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect many sectors of economies around the world, Nigeria was also faced with new challenges.

“Here at LASU, the wellbeing of every member of the university community is of paramount importance, this is why we have managed our affairs with the recommendations  of the WHO in mind,” she said.