The Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Professor Dibu Ojerinde has said that the agency had successfully stamped out corruption in form of examination malpractices using its innovative biometrics platform.
This, according to him, allows JAMB to conduct examinations throughout West Africa and produce the results same day to block chances of manipulations.
Dibu, who said they had succeeded in blocking all avenues upon which examination malpractices thrive, however, noted that there was need for school authorities of various institutions to carry out the last check on their prospective applicants, who seek admission in their schools.
Consequently, he solicited the collaboration of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in this regard to completely stamp out corruption in the admission process.
Dibu was speaking at the 11th ICPC Good Governance Forum with the theme; “Good Governance, Accountability and Transformation: The JAMB Experience”, held in Abuja.
Explaining how the success was achieved, he said other issues such as faking of admission letters had been checked through the issuance of electronic admission letters and embossment of same with photos of the candidates that had been offered provisional admission.
According to him, in cases where examination malpractice practitioners have used business centres to superimpose another photo on an admission letter, such is checked by verifying from a comprehensive manual which has earlier been sent to the schools.
“The candidates do not have access to this manual. It is sent only to the schools. Admission letters presented by candidates are verified using this manual before the candidate is registered in the school. But some schools do not use this manual for whatever reason; and that is where we will need the help of the ICPC,” he said.
Ojerinde noted that in the past, everybody with the institution contributed to examination malpractice and leakage of question papers, from the secretariat staff to cleaners, computer operators, clerical staff, messengers, schedule officers, typists, proof readers, editors and scanner operators.
However, he maintained that the new system had shut all the officers out of the process, including himself, the chief executive; leaving the process to a select few officers who are isolated for the period of preparing the questions and writing the exams.
“During this period, they do not have access to their phones for 38 days, they do not have access to their families and the outside world but they are well taken care of”, Ojerinde said.
On how it is possible to come up with 98,000 results two hours after the exam ; and 617,000 results in five days, after writing the exam, Professor Ojerinde explained that the examination body had 26 scanners ; one of which works on 15,000 scripts per day running three shifts.
The 26 machines works on 390,000 scripts altogether in a day, hence, the ability to produce the results within minimum time frame. “Releasing results in very short time reduces the possibility of manipulation”, he said.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the ICPC, Barr. Ekpo Nta expressed delight at the success of JAMB, adding that only institutional changes, not necessarily mass arrest can stamp out corruption in Nigeria.
To this end, participants at the forum asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other government agencies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), NCCE, National Population commission (NPC), National Identification Management Commission (NIMC) and NABTEP to adopt the biometric innovation made by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to effect systemic change and stamp out corruption in the country. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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