Let
Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board (JAMB) Go.
Thirty-nine years ago, the federal
government Decree 2, of 1978 (amended by Decree 33, of 1989 with more powers
and duties) established a body-the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board
(JAMB), which is empowered to:
·
Conduct
Matriculation Examination for entry into all Nigerian Universities.
With amended Decree 2 of 1978, which
became Decree 33 of 1989, more powers and duties are vested in JAMB, which
include, but not limited to:
·
Conduct
Matriculation Examination for entry into all Universities, Polytechnics and
Colleges of Education (by whatever name called) in Nigeria.
·
Appoint
Examiners, Moderators, Invigilators, members of
the Subject Panels and Committees and others persons with respect to
matriculation
·
Place suitable
qualified candidates in tertiary institutions
·
Collate and
disseminate all information relating to admissions into tertiary institutions
in Nigeria
·
Carry out activities
necessary for full discharge of functions in pursuant of this decree.
JAMB is by far is one of the most
popular federal government institutions in Nigeria, with the exception of the
Central Bank of Nigerian and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),
JAMB may be the third popular institution in Nigeria; not as a money-generating
body, but as an organization whose impact on every Nigerian student last
forever.
Many Nigerians will never forget JAMB
for making their pathway to college easy; on the other hand, hundreds of
thousands, perhaps, millions will never forgive JAMB for being victims of this
powerful body, because of its archaic, poor standard evaluation, and
retrogressive admission styles of selecting and placing students in Nigerian
tertiary institutions.
To tens of millions of Nigerians home
and in diaspora, JAMB has outlived its usefulness; IT IS TIME FOR JAMB TO GO.
Before JAMB Entrance Examinations
Sole Duties of Universities:
Before 1978, all Nigerian universities
through the statutes that established them, gave them unlimited powers to
conduct entrance examinations and placements of qualified candidates in
departments or courses of choice, or at least, secondary choice, if first choice
was impossible, but met criteria of later choice.
Assignment-every Nigerian university
performed with angelic fervor, even with the little taint of “Owosho Admissions Scandal” at
University of Lagos, Akoka in 1973, university’s entrance examinations and
students’ placements were among the noble duties in all Ivory Towers before
1978 arrival of JAMB.
Welcome JAMB:
Before 1976, there were six
universities in Nigeria
·
The University of
Ibadan, established as University College in 1948, became a full-fledge
university in 1962, the great and popular UI
·
The University of
Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) established in 1960; independence gift.
·
University of
Ife, Ile-Ife, 1962, now Obafemi Awolowo University (renamed Obafemi Awolowo
University, OAU in May 1897).
·
University of
Lagos, Akoka-Yaba, 1962 (following Ashby recommendations on higher education in
Nigeria).
·
Ahmadu Bello
University (ABU), Zaria, successor to Nigerian College of Arts, Science and
Technology, Samaru, Zaria.
·
University of
Benin, 1970 by Samuel Ogbemudia’s administration.
With the exception University of
Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and University of Lagos, Akoka-Yaba,
three other universities were regional or states’ owned institutions until
1975, when the new military regime of Brigadier (later General) Murtala
Mohammed unilaterally took them from their owners.
Prior to this time, none of the other three
universities: Unife (now OAU), ABU, and Uniben had administrative, financial,
or academic problems that could warrant their seizure by General Murtala
Mohammed.
Although, Murtala died six months into
his administration, however, this administrative error or infraction continued
under Obasanjo-Yar’ Adua regime.
Hitherto, no cogent or compelling
reasons were given for their takeover, other than grapevine, that it was
Northern Nigerian plans to downtempo Southern Nigeria education speed for it to
catch up.
By 1976, Obasanjo regime established
seven new universities:
1. University of Sokoto, now Usman Dan Fodio
University
2. Bayero University, Kano
3. University of Maiduguri
4. University of Jos
5. University of Ilorin
6. University of Calabar
7. University of Port-Harcourt
By 1978, Nigeria already had thirteen
universities; in fact, 1978 would remain indelible in annals of Nigeria Education,
considering events, which happened. In 1978, federal government jacked up
feeding fee that led to “Ali-Must-Go” riot-Akintunde Ojo-a Part Two Political
Science student of University of Lagos, killed.
Same year on October 4, Joint
Admissions and Matriculation Board established.
Pundits and education managers back
then felt-all the 1978 federal government education policies or actions-were craftily
or knavishly directed against southerners, regardless of six universities in
the north, after all, their students were mainly southerners.
JAMB AND ITS MANY SINS:
The first registrar of JAMB was
Professor Akinkugbe, later vice-chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria;
Professor Akinkugbe began on a good note, set a standard to become a world
record for the new body, he barely stayed for a year before replaced.
Fortunately, JAMB had a tested
technocratic, administrator par excellence-Michael Angulu-a dedicated and
professionally sound public servant, who took JAMB to enviable position; for
about eight years, Angulu created a-near-perfect-examination-body for
Nigerians, but this would not continue.
In 1987, General Ibrahim Babangida
relieved Michael Angulu of his position, JAMB then became an extension of
Ministry of Education under the mighty hand of Professor Jibril Aminu.
Never forget, Professor Aminu was the
Executive Secretary of National University Commission (NUC) when JAMB was
planned and established in 1978-perhaps, the arrowhead of JAMB project.
Aminu and Col. Ahmadu Ali, then
Federal Commissioner for Education supervised JAMB until Ali left, and Jibril
Aminu was appointed Vice-Chancellor, University of Maiduguri in 1981.
As soon as Professor Aminu became
Minister of Education in Babangida’s regime-JAMB system changed radically,
disparate admissions policies introduced, and different examinations standards instituted.
JAMB lost the great steam under Angulu, soon, JAMB became a federal agency
promoting regional education balance using these criteria:
·
Catchment Areas
·
Quota system or
balancing
·
Merit
Universities throughout the land were forced
to admit students as directed by Federal Ministry of Education through JAMB.
Because of over centralization of all
admissions, unbearable pressures lay on universities from candidates, parents,
and guardians. As a college professor at
University of Lagos, more important, Admissions Officer for five years,
admissions season was my worst time at University of Lagos.
From every nook and cranny of Nigeria-you
see over qualified candidates-that had been knocked off on flimsy technical
admissions requirements, such as over filled quota for a particular state or
outside catchment area.
You see brilliant candidates with
great scores and outstanding performance in SSCE and NECO, but would not get
admission because they were are two marks short of cut-off points assigned to
their state of origin, meanwhile, students from certain states had compromised
standard.
These were the plights of candidates
many years ago, but far worse, even today.
Why JAMB Must Go:
Changing Face of Tertiary
Education in Nigeria.
Nigeria had witnessed tremendous
changes in education sector within the past twenty years, which no one can deny.
With over three hundred universities,
polytechnics, and colleges of education-may we ask-should JAMB be the only body
to perform this noble and arduous task?
With private participation in tertiary
education-should privately owned universities be forced or compelled to admit
students into their colleges through JAMB alone?
Should states owned universities,
polytechnics, and colleges of education-that are 100 per cent funded by states
governments-have any reason or reasons to stay with JAMB anymore?
If Babangida’s regime could break West
African Examination Council’s (WAEC) monopoly by creating National Examination
Council (NECO), and the same government created the Institute of Certified
Public Accountants of Nigeria (ICPAN), a parallel body with Institute of
Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN)-
Is time not ripe for states and
private universities to say goodbye to JAMB?
Modern day realities have overtaken
JAMB, though, was reasonable some thirty-nine years ago.
JAMB is no longer desirable; it has
outlived its usefulness,
JAMB must be liquidated for every
university to carry its load.
The recent failure of JAMB to conduct
an entrance examination tagged MOCK is shameful, all cosmetic or façade current
leadership of JAMB, is selling in public domain will not take JAMB anywhere.
Although Nigerian elite hate change
with passion, surprisingly, antagonists of JAMB’s liquidation will certainly be
individuals whose children are in Europe, South Africa, Australia, and North
America studying-but for selfish interest-they will put up a strong fight to
keep JAMB.
Private and states owned universities
should commence a dis-engagement plan of two to three years, between now and
disengagement date, they would have put proper structures on ground to take
care of entrance examinations and placement of students.
Nigerians, IT IS TIME FOR JAMB TO GO.
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