Oloyede’s patriotic reforms in JAMB and his deserved awards

UJI ABDULLAHI ILIYASU examines the recent measures the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has taken in ensuring that admission processes in the nation’s tertiary institutions are not compromised,   and other sundry issues, and reports that the examination body has the right set of people in the helm of its affairs.

Background

Since the assumption of office the registrar of JAMB, Professor Is’haq Oloyede, has been receiving accolades from various organisations and individuals because of the sanity he has restored in the board due to his zero tolerance to corrupt practices in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and admission processes in public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the nation.

It would be recalled that last week witnessed the conferment of the National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award by  President Muhammadu Buhari on the registrar for his excellent and selfless quality service to the nation.

The registrar has bagged the national productivity award in recognition of his patriotic service to the nation.

The latest award the registrar has been honoured with  is the Leadership Person of the Year award.

Leadership Person of the Year 2019

Professor Is-haq Oloyede was pleasantly surprised while on a routine visit to the Federal Ministry Of Education. It was here that the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu drew his attention to the recognition granted him by Leadership Newspapers, which named him and Mr Femi Otedola as the joint winners of 2019 Leadership Newspaper persons of the year.

The bewildered Oloyede expressed his deep appreciation to Leadership Newspapers for the recognition it had accorded his modest efforts in his patriotic service to the nation.

Manipulation of varsity portals

JAMB, in a bid to wipe out sharp practices in the admission processes has uncovered manipulation of admission in portals of some universities. Before now the board had received complaints from the general public that three public universities had devised a method of “offering admission” to candidates outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) on their own designated portals. The device is a ploy to lure innocent and more qualified candidates from their preferred programmes. The “offering” of admission to candidates by the institutions outside the CAPS is a deliberate act perfected with the intent to lure unsuspecting candidates to accept other courses aside from their courses of choice.

According to JAMB, the CAPS system was designed, among other things, to prevent institutions from unilaterally changing or proposing a candidate for admission into other programmes other than their chosen ones; disallow an institution to skip a higher ranking candidate to pick a less ranking candidate;

allow an institution to recommend a substitute programme for the consent or rejection by a relatively low-ranking candidate who is not likely to secure a place in their initial programmes; and allow low-ranking candidates on each programme to, on their own, opt-out of consideration from the initial programme and be considered for a programme where they rank high enough to be considered.

According to JAMBulletin, “In order to circumvent the rights of these candidates which the JAMB CAPS is protecting and eliminate from the list in each particular programme the highest-ranking candidates, the institutions are using their own portals to unlawfully persuade and pressurise the innocent candidates to either accept another course and then make a change of course on the JAMB portal to the new course they have been ‘supposedly offered’ on their own portal or to psychologically bully the candidates to accept the new course when it is subsequently proposed for their consent on the JAMB CAPS.

“JAMB wishes to state that these tricks which are meant to usurp the rights of the candidates are improper and should be disregarded by the candidates.

“All institutions employing such tricks are putting into jeopardy the future of the illegitimately favoured less qualified candidates as the board will not condone or regularise such irregular admission.

“Any candidate who accepts any offer of admission made outside CAPS (i.e. not on JAMB’s candidates’ profile) does so at his/her own risk. There shall be no regularisation of any irregular or condoning of illegal admission.”

The Bulletin revealed that appropriate caution has been given to these universities which are to promptly withdraw and desist from such illegitimate action, warning that any such act will henceforth be visited with appropriate sanctions.

“The board shall protect the rights of all candidates to be given their due irrespective of their social status.”

NASU honours Oloyede

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), has honoured the registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede, with a fellowship award.

The Secretary-General of NASU, Prince Peters Adeyemi, while conferring the award on Oloyede at the quadrennial delegates conference, held Tuesday in Abuja, commended Oloyede’s purposeful leadership in JAMB, which has “translated into harmonious and cordial working relationship among the NASU Branch of JAMB in the FCT NASU Secretariat.”

The NASU Secretary-General told the registrar that he was honoured for his honesty.

“NASU honoured you for your transparency, humility and demonstrated commitments towards the emancipation of the oppressed and the less privileged within the society as well as for your distinguished personality and positive transformation of JAMB.

 “Professor Oloyede has been a long-standing friend of NASU right from the time he held sway at the University of Ilorin. We are happy that this relationship is growing from strength to strength. We are honouring him as one of our own not only because he has performed excellently but also for identifying with us in all our programmes and aspirations. In addition, he has changed the face of JAMB and the evidence is there for all to see. 

“One other notable quality of Oloyede is that he is a respecter of due process and abhors anything that amounts to illegality.”

Glowing tributes to the registrar

Zonal and state coordinators of the board have congratulated Professor Oloyede on the prestigious National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award and the Fellowship Award of Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) respectively.

The coordinators were highly elated by the honours bestowed on the registrar. According to them, he is an excellent performer who has stamped his footprints on the sands of time. They equally acknowledged his efficient and effective management of human and material resources.

The registrar was also commended for changing the face of JAMB by making it a reference point in assessment circles across the globe.

Other staff of the board also expressed their delight at the national honours bestowed on their hardworking registrar.

The staff members lauded the indefatigable and anti-corruption czar. It was their collective prayer that the trailblazing professor adds yet more feathers to his cap as he takes the board to even greater heights.

JAMB as key player in education sector

The governor of Enugu state, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has described JAMB as a key player in the education sector in Nigeria.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Hon. (Mrs.) Cecilia Ezeilo, stated this when the board’s Enugu Zonal Coordinator, Mr Augustine Maduba, paid a courtesy visit to the Enugu State Government House, Enugu, on November 27, 2019.

The governor said, “JAMB is a key and major player in the education sector in Nigeria. It is an organisation that has, by dint of hard work, integrity and unassailable character, attained an enviable reputation.

 “Through strong and purpose-driven leadership, JAMB has undergone the kind of transformation that has made it an examination body of choice on the African continent. JAMB has embraced global best practices in its operations, in addition to insisting on zero tolerance for compromises, indiscipline and other unwholesome acts.”

He commended the board and urged its staff to make the necessary sacrifices that would ensure the sustenance of all the positive things the board is known for, adding that the state government would support the board in its operational imperatives for efficient service delivery to the people of the state and the entire Southeast in general.

The zonal coordinator, in his earlier, had thanked the Enugu state governor for the warm reception and reiterated the board’s commitment to partnering with the state government for the uplift of education in Nigeria.

He further stated that he was at the Government House to make known the board’s strategies to ensure that prospective candidates have a seamless registration and examination. He enumerated the various measures the board had taken to facilitate the conduct of a hitch-free examination in 2020.

The coordinator advised the state government on the need to key into the CBT project by equally constructing Mega CBT centres for the people of the state and its environs to accommodate more candidates conveniently.

JAMB splashes gifts on its retirees

No fewer than 19 retirees of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), who left the service of the board in line with Federal Civil Service regulations, attended the send-off organised by the board.

The send-off, which took place at the prestigious Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Hotel, Abuja, also witnessed the presentation of gifts and souvenirs to the retirees.

Before the commencement of the occasion, the registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, expressed appreciation to the retirees for their services to the board and the nation.

 “We appreciate your diligence while in service and we believe you will continue to be good ambassadors of the board wherever you might be,” he said.

The registrar recalled that three years earlier, the board resolved to celebrate all retirees who exited the system with clean records regardless of their cadre.

 Oloyede commended the role of the governing board under the distinguished chairmanship of Dr Emmanuel Ndukwe for the robust retirement package approved to insulate the retirees from the endless wait for retirement benefits from the appropriate authorities.

The registrar, while urging those in service to be upright, disciplined and committed to duty, said, “It would be difficult to find a public establishment that has prioritised and improved the welfare of staff the way JAMB has done all in a bid to discourage staff from cutting corners.”

He said that the board would continue to facilitate openings for willing and able retirees to render post-retirement services in other organisations and urged beneficiaries to be of good behaviour so as not to close the gate against future potential beneficiaries.

Similarly, the chairman of the board, Dr Ndukwe, urged the retirees to take good care of their health just as he congratulated them on the meritorious services rendered to the board.

Leave a Reply