JAMB 2012 : JAMB faults report on cancellation of UTME centres in North

JAMB 2012 : JAMB faults report on cancellation of UTME centres in North 
The management of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has faulted report that the board has cancelled some Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) centres in the North due to the security challenges being experienced.
A statement made available to Newsmen by the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Timothy Oyedeji, described the reports in some national dailies as mischievous and unfortunate, noting that “they have attempted to distort what was an honest and fair response to a question raised at the recently concluded 58th edition of the National Council on Education (NCE).”

According to him, the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. ‘Dibu Ojerinde was asked by newsmen that in view of the obvious security challenges in the North Eastern part of the country, which had resulted in the bombing of schools by the Boko Haram sect, was the board ready to cancel or relocate those centres.

Oyedeji said Prof. Ojerinde replied thus: “It is unfortunate that we are experiencing this development in the North-east. I can assure you that the problem is isolated to primary schools. However, God forbids, if we have such problem in tertiary institutions, the board will be forced to take some remedial actions.”
The image maker of JAMB added that the management dissociated itself from the false publications that it had approved the cancellation of some centres, stressing “this is false, impossible and unthinkable as it is not within the purview of the board’s mandate to cancel UTME in some centres without due authorisation from the supervising authority.

He also denied the insinuation that a House of Representatives member, Aminu Suleiman Fagge (PDP Kano), moved a resolution on floor of the lower chambers under a matter of urgent national importance that “the House feels saddened that JAMB, saddled with the responsibility of creating a pathway for national development should be denying desirous candidates access to tertiary education.”

He (Fagge) thus averred that “JAMB’s decision to suspend the conduct of 2012 UTME in those areas is driven by an ulterior motive.” But Oyedeji said the report credited to the lawmaker was incorrect, noting “it is against the backdrop of the fact that JAMB as a responsible government agency is guided by rules, regulations and due process, hence, the board can never take a rash decision as is being portrayed.”
JAMB 2012