Oloyede’s clinical cleansing at JAMB as essence of values-based leadership

*Anybody who engages in sharp practices, no matter who the person is, shall not be protected by JAMB because the Board has zero-tolerance for corruption, says Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

The ongoing efforts by the current leadership of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to consciously discipline and purge dubious characters enmeshed multiple frauds have continued to attract the attention of several values-oriented Nigerians.

Latest of such measures in dealing with image-denting infractions on JAMB is how the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arrested Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, a former Registrar and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the JAMB, for apparently defrauding the exam body of N900 million while in office.

Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, a former Registrar and CEO of JAMB

Azuka Ogugua, ICPC Spokesperson, in a statement disclosed this development Wednesday, March 17 in Abuja, FCT, and said Prof. Ojerinde is alleged to have committed multiple frauds while heading both JAMB and National Examinations Council (NECO).

The statement noted: “He has been detained by the Commission for questioning over allegations of multiple identities, abuse of office, money laundering, tax evasion, and making false statements to public officials.

“The former JAMB boss is also being questioned by the Commission for allegedly awarding fraudulent contracts to shell companies which cannot be traced, the statement read in part.

According to the anti-graft Commission, the former JAMB Registrar and CEO Ojerinde was also alleged to have awarded contracts for the supply of pencils and erasers at the cost of N450 million each, to Double 07 Concept Limited and Pristine Global Concept Limited, respectively between 2013 and 2014 while heading the Board.

ICPC stated: “There is no evidence to show that the items which are examination materials were supplied as the contractors cannot be found.

“Similar contracts were allegedly awarded to Solid Figures Limited, Holywalk Limited, and other companies for various sums without any trace of executions.”

Ojerinde is currently being held on a remand warrant, and will soon be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation, according to report.

In a related development, earlier in the week, Andy Okoro and Gambo Abba, two staff of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, also met their waterloo, as they were also arrested for extorting money from Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates, with a promise to help them to secure University admissions.

Okoro, one of the culprits and Level 12 officer in Delta State JAMB’s office, was reported to have collected ₦500,000 from parents of four UTME examination candidates the amount from which he paid ₦180,000 to Gambo, a colleague of his, to help in facilitating the candidates’ admissions into universities in the country.

Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of JAMB, disclosed that said the bubble burst when one of the parents in Delta State petitioned the Board Okoro’s questionable activities.

It was gathered that JAMB later began an investigation into the admission racketeering. Oloyede was said to have expressed surprise that the affected staff of the Board intentionally defied the Board’s zero tolerance for corruption, as he vowed to ensure they face the full wrath of the law.

The Registrar has insisted that anybody who engages in sharp practices, no matter who the person is, shall not be protected by JAMB because the Board has zero-tolerance for corruption under his watch.

Oloyede, therefore, called on parents and candidates to not allow anyone to collect money from them in the guise of helping them secure admissions to their chosen institutions.

The JAMB the system is now fully automated, said the Registrar.

He noted: “What is happening now is that people know those that will be admitted, because they know by the automation this person could be admitted, and they now go and be extorting the parents of those that have already been slated for admissions.

“We need to let the public know that there is no halfway to admission. Nobody should bribe or give any amount to anybody whether they are JAMB staff or they are not JAMB staff.”

Yet, as part of the admissions racket, Bayo Olajide, a tutorial centre operator in Koroduma, Nasarawa State of Nigeria, recently landed in trouble for collecting N6,500 registration fees from would-be UTME candidates.

Bayo reportedly engaged in the act even when JAMB was yet to commence sales of form for the 2021 exercise.

Dr. Fabian Benjamin, Head of Media at JAMB, was quoted to have said: “He (Bayo Olajide) has been collecting money from candidates in the name of 2021 UTME registration, and you all know we have not commenced the registration.

“He was arrested and when asked, he claimed he is a tutorial person, that he has been teaching candidates for the exam, but the tragedy of the story was that he was not even qualified to sit for the exam.”

Bayo, who revealed that his highest academic qualification was O’Level also admitted receiving money from only a person.

Meanwhile, Prof. Oloyede has warned that anybody who solicits money from any parents should be reported to the Board for an appropriate action.

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