Education Minister Cautions VCs, Others against Sharp Practices

• JAMB reduces fees for foreign students

Martins Ifijeh

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu has called on vice chancellors and other leaders of educational institutions in Nigeria to shun sharp practices that cannot stand the test of integrity.

He said he has evidence that some leaders of educational institutions were not carrying out their job with the integrity it deserves.

Adamu, who stated this during the 2018 Policy Meeting of Tertiary Institutions at the newly opened 4000 capacity Bola Babalakin Auditorium in Gbongon, Osun State recently, said: “Some of you carry out your duties with full understanding and knowledge that some of your actions cannot stand the test of integrity, as some of the infractions you endorse and approve are irregular. I have documentary evidence of some of these irregularities and they include irregular admissions, skewed fees and refusal to adhere to policy decisions.”

He said they should imbibe transparency, honesty, sincerity, equity, loyalty, integrity and commitment to nation building as cardinal principles in their organisations.

Meanwhile, the Registrar of Jamb, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, has revealed that as part of government’s plan to include all groups in the process, it has reduced exam fees of foreign students from $120 to $20, while measures have also been put in place to ensure blind candidates are not disenfranchised.

He said a lot of improvements have been made in policies and processes put in place to ensure hitch free admissions for the 2018 academic session.

“There has been an expansion of e-selling points for mobile money operators, microfinance banks, online payments, POS and ATMS. For the first time also, exam centers can be monitored in real time from JAMB headquarters, thereby minimising incidents of fraud. Exams are now also being synchronised to ensure they begin and end at the same time across the country.”

He also stated that JAMB has launched a mobile app called JAMBMOBILE to aide candidates, adding that the application can be easily downloaded to a phone, and can be used to check the status of an application, matriculation status, and acceptance or rejection of admission.

The Pro Chancellor of the University of Lagos Dr. Wale Babalakin, who built the Bola Babalakin Auditorioum said he was ‘’motivated by a desire to provide an environment conducive to serious intellectual work.

“It is our fervent believe that Nigeria will only achieve its full potential when the aggregate of our intellectual capacity is developed and harnessed appropriately. We cannot achieve our full potential if we do not reward competence and hard work and simultaneously punish bad behavior,” he said.

He went on to say he hoped other serious institutions will utilise this facility which many have described as one of the most elaborate and We hope as JAMB has done, other serious institutions will now take advantage of what many have said is one of the mostelaborate and comfortable auditorium in Nigeria today, suitable for the sort of large scale intellectual gathering we are having here today.

In attendance were all vice chancellors of all universities, rectors of polytechnics, among others.