Sola Ojo, Kaduna
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), on Thursday, said it has generated N20 billion from University and Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) between 2016 to 2019.
The Board also announced its readiness to deploy drone cameras to all the identified 700 examination centres to check any activity that can jeopardize the efforts of the Board from being a transparent agency of government it is known for.
The board’s Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, made these known in Zaria, Kaduna State, during a meeting with Computer Based Test (CBT) centres operators with the States coordinators of the Board, financial institutions and internet service providers.
Oloyede, who was specifically addressing CBT centres operators who converged in Zaria from across the country, urged them not to worry about their investments while transacting business with the board if they are doing their work in accordance with the agreed registration and examination guidelines.
According to him, “You have nothing to fear and you should know that, if you put your investments together, it can’t be up to N20bn and we have accrued N20bn in three years as an agency.
“As Agency of government, we have to ensure that small and medium scale businesses strive and if you multiply 11 staff by 700, you will know better. We are also adding value to the economy and job creation out of your employment market and we will continue to support you once you are doing your work well.”
To check registration and examination scandals, the Registrar directed that “all CCTV must be wired, all camera must cover verification areas, coding areas, walkways, examination hall, server room and entrance and exit in all centres. We will use drones to monitor the centres.”
In the area of prosecution of those caught in the past he said, “100 candidates caught red-handed are under prosecution – 20 jailed and 80 others are under investigation.
“Last year was for the prosecution of candidates. By the grace of God, it is the urn of CBT centres to be prosecuted. If you do work well, it will reduce the cost of running from one court to the other,” he appeed to them.