Our Innovative Biometrics Platform Helped To Eradicate Exam Malpractices – JAMB

The Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Professor Dibu Ojerinde has said that the agency had successfully stamped out examination malpractices using its innovative biometrics platform.

The JAMB registrar, who spoke at the 11th ICPC Good Governance Forum with the theme; “Good Governance, Accountability and Transformation: The JAMB Experience”, held in Abuja, noted that this allows the body to conduct examinations throughout West Africa and produce the results on the same day to block chances of manipulations.

While Ojerinde noted that JAMB had done its part in blocking all avenues for examination malpractices, he noted that school authorities of various institutions need to carry out the last check on their prospective applicants, who seek admission in their schools.

He therefore called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to collaborate with the body to completely stamp out corruption in the admission process.

According to him, other issues such as faking of admission letters had been checked through the issuance of electronic admission letters, which carry photos of the candidates that had been offered provisional admission.

However, in cases where some unscrupulous elements have used business centres to superimpose another photo on an admission letter, such is checked by verifying from a comprehensive manual which has earlier been sent to the schools.

“The candidates do not have access to this manual. It is sent only to the schools. Admission letters presented by candidates are verified using this manual before the candidate is registered in the school. But some schools do not use this manual for whatever reason; and that is where we will need the help of the ICPC,” he said.

Ojerinde noted that in the past, everybody with the institution contributed to examination malpractice and leakage of question papers, from the secretariat staff to cleaners, computer operators, clerical staff, messengers, schedule officers, typists, proof readers, editors and scanner operators.

However, he maintained that the new system had shut all the officers out of the process, including himself, the chief executive; leaving the process to a select few officers who are isolated for the period of preparing the questions and writing the exams.

“During this period, they do not have access to their phones for 38 days, they do not have access to their families and the outside world but they are well taken care of”, Ojerinde said.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the ICPC, Barr. Ekpo Nta expressed delight at the success of JAMB. He noted that only institutional changes, not necessarily mass arrest can stamp out corruption in Nigeria.