The Exam Ethics Marshal International has commended the Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede and his team for successful conduct of the 2019 JAMB examination.
NAN reports that Mr Ike Onyechere, Founding Chairman, Exam Ethics Marshals International, gave the commendation in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that the registrar had done well for putting an end to conspiracy of silence and lip service in the fight against examination malpractice in the country.
“The 2019 JAMB UTME was held from April 11 to April 17, with the result released on May 11 showed that while 1,886, 508 candidates sat for the exams 1,792,719 results were released.
“34,120 results were cancelled for their involvement in exam fraud while 15,145 results are still being clarified.
“The entire process is a success story in general and in terms of the campaign to eradicate exam malpractice and entrench exam ethics,” he said.
According to him, JAMB had confirmed beyond any reasonable doubt that exam malpractice is now an organised criminal enterprise orchestrated by full time professional criminals.
“With members of syndicates embedded in some Ministries, Agencies, Institutions and Examination Boards.
“Exam special (magic) centres masquerading as Schools (duly registered and licensed by State Ministries of Education) are their operational fronts for Secondary School Certificates (SSC) and other exams.
“When JAMB migrated from Paper and Pencil Tests (PPT) to Computer Based Tests (CBT), they set up cyber cafes and CBT centres as fronts for their JAMB operations.
“For the 2019 exams, 112 of such centres were identified, blacklisted, delisted or suspended by JAMB,” he said.
The chairman explained that exam fraud syndicates and their collaborating parents disguised as public interest, social responsibility commentators and mount media pressure to get JAMB to rescind its decision not to register candidates without biometric verification.
Onyechere said that the registrar has demonstrated strong nerves, strength of character and supreme self confidence in resisting the pressure and ensuring that no candidate sat for the exams without biometric verification.
He disclosed that this has enabled JAMB to block the standard operating strategy of the fraudsters of multiple registration and use of exam mercenaries, adding that 34,120 results were still cancelled for exam fraud.
“When the exam ended on 17th April and JAMB noticed that some fraudsters still penetrated the system, it decided to conduct a meticulous check to fish out the culprits instead of rushing to release the results.
“Again they mounted pressure and the registrar and his team resisted, if they have succumbed JAMB would have achieved a fleeting praise for speedy release of results.
“But the exam fraudsters that succeeded in beating the system would not have been identified and credibility and integrity of the results would have been compromised,” he said.
Onyechere said that the integrity of the administration and supervision process of 2019 JAMB exams was improved by engagement of Vice-Chancellors as JAMB Chief External Examiners in various States.
He disclosed that coupled with the use of serving and retired top professionals and directors from public and private sector organisations, it was difficult for the fraudsters to bride their way through this caliber of professionals.
He said that the offer of bribe of N1.7 million cash in one exam centre was reported.
“The use of VCs as Chief External Examiners also restored confidence of tertiary institutions in the JAMB UTME process.
“Instead of the clamor for post-UTME exams, tertiary institutions now see themselves as partners and co-owners in the JAMB process, it is a master class deployment of strategy of team work”.
The chairman noted that Exam Ethics Marshals have supported the VCs on account of persistent issues of lack of integrity in JAMB exams, which are now being seriously addressed.
He said that the 2019 JAMB UTME has set another important record, adding that 128 fraudsters were arrested during the exams that ended on 17th April.
He said that five of them have already been convicted in Zamfara, Kebbi and other states less than one month after the exams and123 others are standing trial in other states.
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