ASUU AND LECTURERS UNION SAYS THEY WANT JAMB TO BE SCRAPPED.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and a civic group have disagreed on the need for the UTME examination and the performance of Ishaq Oloyede, a professor, as Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Deji Omole, the University of Ibadan Chapter chairman of ASUU argued that JAMB has outlived its usefulness.

“JAMB has outlived its usefulness, it is time that we scrapped it,” the professor said. “The body is a problem to the Nigerian educational sector and also a problem to the university system”

Mr. Omole then attacked Mr. Oloyede on the non-conduct of the mock examination initially scheduled to be held before this year’s UTME examination.

“Basically, it is wrong for a man who says he has high integrity to collect money from people to hold mock examination but not hold it,” he said. “Will he return the money, he won’t and that is how he has been enriching himself so far.”

The university don then argued that the new policy by JAMB for candidates on selection of higher institutions was improper.

“No student can really say the process he will go through next session for admission. The JAMB Registrar has found a way to introduce a process that enables you to pick one public university only so that he can enrich the private universities.

“If he did not have the opportunity of attending public schools would he have been educated. He came from a humble background, his actions are only done to embezzle money, he is corrupt and is showing it here.”

Mr. Omole restated his stance that the JAMB Registrar should resign or be sacked, but said his call was not personally against Mr. Oloyede, but the institution he heads.

“Why will one individual be the one to dictate tune of our education,” he argued. “The universities should be allowed to conduct their own examination and determine who to admit, the Post UTME should be reintroduced.”

JAMB had earlier provided reasons for its actions including the decision to allow candidates choose only one public university unlike in the past when there was a second choice of public universities.

According to the spokesperson of the agency, Fabian Benjamin, if candidates select a public university as their degree awarding choice, they are allowed to select a private university as a second choice.

Mr. Benjamin said the restrictions do not involve polytechnics or colleges of education.
He said JAMB discovered it was of no use choosing a public university as a second choice.

The spokesperson also indicated that candidates who paid the N700 for the cancelled mock examination will have their money refunded, although the agency, on its website, appears to be making plans to conduct the mock examination.

In its reaction to the stance of ASUU, a group, the Joint Action Coalition of Civil Society​ Organisations, accused the lecturers of benefitting from the decayed educational system.

The group accused ASUU of working against the reforms of both JAMB and the Minister of Education, Adamu.

“We further pass a vote of confidence on the leadership of Professor Oloyede whilst calling on stakeholders to support and embrace ICT as the strategic tool to deal with corruption in the educational sector.

“We also warn ASUU to stay within its area of remit and not frustrate Nigerian youths. ASUU should rather be apologizing for its various acts that have crippled the Nigerian educational sector. We urge Nigerians to resist and reject the attempt by ASUU to extend its war against the educational sector,” the group said