Twenty six days after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board held its Universities Matriculation Examination, the results were released. This is another feat by Professor Dibu Ojerinde, the Registrar and Chief Executive, which hitherto has never been achieved in the life time of the Board; so says Chinwe Ogbuka, the Public Relations Officer of the Board in a brief chat at the National headquarters, Complex, Suleja Road, Bwari.

         

As for Alhaji Muhammad Wada Hamza, Deputy - Director, General Services, who recently took over from Yusuf Lawal, immediate past Deputy Director, Corporate Services, it is diligence at work.

         

In spite of the early release of the result of the 2007 Universities Matriculation Examination; however, it is quite disturbing according to a Press Statement issued by the Registrar/Chief Executive dated 31^st May, 2007 to note that some examiners and external agents compromised their positions and actively colluded with candidates to perpetrate examination irregularities. For instance according to the statement; a total of two hundred and ninety- nine, (299), of such cases were recorded during the examination. Some examination towns were reported to have recorded various cases of Examination irregularities/malpractice in the last examination as below are Aba with 156 cases, Abakaliki, 175, Abeokuta, 343, Agbor, 279, Agege, 318, Anyigba, 268, Benin City, 767, Ibadan, 1,818, Ebute Metta, 280, Ede, 670, Efon- Alaye 312, Irro, 686, Gboko, 151, Lagos Island, 125, Ikirun, 1622, Ikeja 218, Ikorodu, 288, Iko-Ekpene 115, Ila-oragun, 224, a total of 20 towns across the country.

         

Further information did show that a total of twenty one thousand, four hundred and sixty-six, (21, 466) cases were still pending following irregularities observed in their scripts.

         

This does not represent the actual number of candidates involved in examination malpractice. The actual number of candidates involved in examination malpractice was yet to be determined at the time of going to the press as investigations were yet to be completed; at the time of sending out this report.

         

Even with these, the Board is operating a transparent system and determined to ensure that no candidate is unfairly treated in the process.

         

Further indices of irregularity cases shows that a total of eleven thousand seven hundred and fifty-five (11, 755) candidates came late to examination hall without valid reasons. Also two thousand, seven hundred and fifty seven (2,757) candidates were caught spying/copying from prepared answers, while two thousand, one hundred and seventeen (2,117) candidates did not have e-registration slips. It is regrettable that in spite of warnings and appeal to candidates, not to come to examination centers with handsets or any communication gadgets, many candidates still went to examination hall with handsets.

         

A total of one thousand, nine hundred and forty eight (1,948) candidates were caught with mobile phones during the examination.

         

In some centres, many candidates reported to the examination centres more than forty-five minutes into the examination. However, those with serious reasons such as problems of transportation were allowed to sit for the examination.

 

As part of the Board’s efforts to reach out and avail the citizenry with opportunity to further their education, no matter their situation, the 2007 Universities Matriculation Examination was conducted at the Ikoyi Prison, for the eligible inmates, who have indicated interest. A total of fifteen, (15) candidates sat for the examination. The center was established in 2005.

 

The Board has made adequate arrangement for the checking of the Universities Matriculation Examination results online. All results are to be checked online using WWW.jambresult.com at the purchase of appropriate scratch card. No candidate would have access to his/her result in any of the Board Offices. The Examination Bodies in the country are now operating a common Information and Communication Technology (ICT) platform.

 

The Board, therefore has not authorized any tutorial or coaching centre(s) to serve as centre(s) where candidates can check or verify results.

         

Any corporate body or organization which lay claim to the checking of results should be reported to the appropriate authorities.

         

It is important to note that apart from the computer print-outs being issued to the Universities indicating candidates preferences in terms of first and second choices, the Board will continue to provide a comprehensive list of the results of each and every candidate on Compact Discs to all Degree-Awarding Institutions at a token fee. This will assist the Universities in checking admission malpractice and prevent dubious candidates, who are in the habit of presenting fake results to the Universities without having the opportunity of authenticating such results, until they come to the Board for verification.

         

Random sample of opinion from various categories of staff at the National Headquarters complex, Suleja Road, Bwari of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board are that the indomitable, Irrepressible Steps taken so far, by the Registrar/Chief Executive of the Board, Professor Adedibu Ojerinde from Musa Mohammed in the Admissions Office, Blessing Ezejah, John Ankim, General Services, Mrs. Shalewa Olabode-Adetimehin, Mrs. Sarah Paul Ibekwe, Cecilia Galadima, Tobi Shodipe, Circulation Manager; JAMB News; Opara Kenneth – Security Personnel; Felix O. Bernard; Security Personnel, to Alhaji Mohamed Umar Koko. Deputy – Director Personnel, Musa Aboki Ijakoro, Munir Abdulkadir, Finance Department, Abdulfatai Yusuf, Same Department. Adepegba Modupe (Miss), a corper serving in the Accounts department, Magaji Abdullahi – General services; Mrs. Nana Arome, Mrs Fatima Mohamed, Mrs Safiya Hawaziri, Mrs. Amina Isah, Ugwuogbo, O. in the Open Registry all called for proper prompt funding of the Board. They called on the Federal Government or alternatively Federal Ministry of Education to support the private security personnel deployed on the field to monitor the examination. This means, more recruitment and training. Others with technical mind and expertise in electronics/electrical affairs urged that they should be a monitoring device as once put by the Registrar/Chief Executive, Professor Adedibu Ojerinde to intercept signals from GSM phones and communications gadgets used in transmitting answers to candidates. This all revolves around proper funding and more budgeting provisions for such an examination body that sits simultaneously in foreign centres that include Accra, (Ghana), Buea (Cameroon), Cotonou (Benin Republic) Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and London (U.K).

         

Besides, another solution to the problems of JAMB is to call on parents, guardians, invigilators and supervisors to exercise discipline as patriotic citizens and nurture their wards towards culture of reading and preparations. Chinwe Ogbuka, the Public Relations Officer of the Board noted that an amendment of the Examination Malpractices Act 1999 is necessary by section 16 of the Special Tribunals (Miscellaneous Offences) Act OP 410 which is currently being replaced and repealed by lawmakers should be merged with Examination Malpractices Act 1999, subject to amendment by the Senate Committee.

         

Efforts at the time of going to the press to reach out to other high ranking management staff to get their views especially Director of Research, Monitoring and Examination, Dr Peter I. Odor, Mrs Aisha Dahiru, Deputy – Director, Tests and Productions, Alhaji Abdurahman Adeniran, Director, Computer Services to comment on the online checking of results proved abortive as they were having a meeting and subsequent calls indicate, they traveled on official duty.

         

Nevertheless these are the views and opinions of the staff and management of JAMB, who feel the pinch.

         

This year’s Examination was conducted on Saturday May 5, 2007 in one hundred and sixty-nine (169) examination centres throughout the Federation and five (5) other countries.

         

A total of nine hundred and eleven thousand, six hundred and seventy-nine (911,679) candidates completed and returned application forms for the 2007 Universities Matriculation Examination. This number shows an increase of one Hundred and four thousand, five hundred and ninety (104,590) candidates compared with figures of eight hundred and six thousand and eighty-nine (806,089), the previous year. Out of this number, eight hundred and fifty four thousand, four hundred and thirty-nine (854,439) candidates sat for the examination. A total of fifty-three thousand, two hundred and forty-three (53,243) candidates were absent from the Examination.

         

During the 2007 Universities Matriculations Examination, a total of fifty-four, (54) visually impaired candidates sat for the examination. Since it is the policy of the Board that equal opportunities should be given to all applicants, regardless of their status, an appeal was made to stakeholders to show moral interest in the acquisition of higher education by this category of citizens.

         

The following six states had the highest number of applicants (1) Imo, 93,065, percentage 10.21%, (2) Anambra, 64,689, percentage 7.10%, (3) Delta, 61,580, percentage 6.75%, (4) Edo, 59,754, percentage, 6.33% (Akwa Ibom – 47,928, percentage 5.26% (6) Ogun, 47,227, percentage 5.18%

         

Conversely, the following six stages recorded the lowest number of applications (1) Kebbi – 4, 682, percentage 0. 51% (2) Sokoto, 3,925, percentage, 0.43% (3) Taraba, 3,832, percentage, 0.42% (4) Zamfara; 2,904, percentage, 0.32% (5) Jigawa, 2,541, percentage 0.28% (6) Yobe, 2,516; percentage 0.28%.

          Application by faculty according to the highest recorded this year is as follows.

(a)   Social science, 216,331, percentage 23.73%

(b)  Medical science, 165,693 percentage 18.17%

(c)  Administration, 142,344. percentage 15.61%

(d)  Engineering/Environmental Technology 140,802 percentage 15.44% (E) Sciences, 90,671 percentage 9.95%

(e)   Law, 56,939, percentage 6.25%

(f)    Arts, 56,874, percentage 6.24%

(g)  Education, 32,222, percentage 3.53%

(h)  Agriculture,9,771 percentage 1.07%

 

A total of five hundred and twenty thousand, seven hundred and seventy seven (520,777) made applications subscribed to various courses in the Degree – Awarding Institutions; while three hundred and ninety thousand, eight hundred and seventy six (390,876) female applied to the institutions.

 

The figure above shows that female applicants constituted forty-two point eighty seven percent (42.87%), while male applicants seeking admission to pursue first degree programmes in the nation’s tertiary Institutions was fifty-nine point one-two percent (59.12%). Further analysis shows that Imo State had the highest number of female applicants with forty-eight thousand; eight hundred and twenty-three (48,823) followed by Anambra State with thirty-four thousand, nine –hundred and ninety-six (34,996) applicants, while Delta State had twenty-six thousand, four hundred and sixty-eight (26,468) female applicants.

 

All these figures, show the enormous problems confronting JAMB. But there is no problem without solution. And so far, this is the journey of Professor Dibu Ojerinde, who took over as Registrar; Chief Executive of JAMB; some few months ago; who needed moral, psychological and financial strength to put the Board on the path of Honour.

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