UTME 2020:  Why we withdrawn licenses of 11 centres – JAMB

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has given reasons why it withdrawn the licenses of 11 centres ahead of the United Tertiary Matriculation Examinations slated for March and April, 2020.

Registrar of the body, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday, explained that the affected centres are engaging in fraud and corruption in the ongoing registrations for the examination.

Oloyede said that charging above the stipulated N4,700 for the 2020 UTME registration was illegitimate and would only destroy the nation; as it was an act of fraud and corruption.

He said that the exorbitant amount could have negative effects on the nation as well as having effects in destroying the system. “Prior to 2018, we sell form for N5,000; but the federal government considers so many things and felt the money was much and in 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari decided that the cost should be slashed; which brought the cost to N3,500.

“Also, prior to this time, there were unscrupulous people selling as high as N10,000. We now democratised the sale of the forms, to make it available so that it will not be possible for those selling to hoard the forms.

Oloyede said that the board was magnanimous enough to pay the sum of N210 as commission for each of the forms sold, to about 2 million candidates nationwide, saying extorting the candidates was unjust.

He added that the board was working closely with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to ensure that any agent who sold above the prescribed fee was brought to book.

He, therefore, called on NSCDC to assist in arresting any erring centre while also calling on candidates to report any centre involved in the act, to commandants in their various states.

He also said that the board, in a bid to eradicate the problems and as well as to ensure tracking, had directed its agents selling forms to ensure they have the National Identity Number (NIN).

The registrar listed some of the centres whose licences were withdrawn as: Federal Polytechnics, Mubi; Adamawa; Adazi-Nnukwu ICT/CBT for selling forms at N5,000, Emkenlyn Computers, Nnaemeka Secondary School Anambra.

Others were: New Kings and Queens Bayelsa, for selling at N5,500; Brightfield Secondary School Delta, for selling between N6,000 and N8,000; A-Pagen Consolidated Port Harcourt, for selling at N5,000 and Influential School Port Harcourt, for selling at N6,000.