DELISTED CENTRES: Despite pledge of prosecution, JAMB passes the buck, 3 months after

Three months after the Registrar/Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board, JAMB, Is-haq Oloyede, stated in his speech during a meeting with owners of CBT centres in Abuja, that delisted JAMB centres would be made to face the wrath of the law, the affected centres are yet to be punished.

When asked about the reason for the delay in making the de-listed JAMB centres face the law for indulging in the alleged irregularities, malpractices and illegalities, Dr Fabian Benjamin, Head of Information and Media JAMB, said the agency lacked the power to prosecute such centres.

“To start with JAMB does not have the power of prosecution; though we have handed over those found culpable to authorities concerned after investigations for prosecution. Let me state clearly that it is not about the centres involved per say but the individuals who are guilty of involving in malpractice.

Read also: INVESTIGATION…Smashed and left in ruins! On the hunt for JAMB CBT centres accused of misconduct

“Yesterday, we had a case involving a suspect who was paraded in court over malpractice in Lagos but the case could not be heard due to the absence of the presiding judge. There are similar cases like that in court which we are diligently working on.

“We don’t take issues of corruption or malpractice likely and unfortunately as an agency we do not have the power to prosecute anyone found wanting. What we do is to give the bodies responsible for prosecution maximum support and that we are doing very well”.

Recall during the meeting with owners of CBT centres in Abuja held in July, Prof Oloyede had said that the delisted centres and individuals found culpable of malpractice have been reported to concerned security agencies for appropriate actions including prosecution and its attendant consequences.

He had also added that, in order to serve as deterrent to others, JAMB was ready to follow through on the entire investigation and legal processes and procedures, stating further that the agency was ready to support the processes with all the necessary logistics.

That disclosure had prompted a Ripples Nigeria’s special investigation in August, on the delisted JAMB centres in which our team of investigative journalists visited several selected centres.

Part of the feedback from interactions with owners and managers of delisted centres was that there was a lack of clarity as to the exact culpability warranting the delisting. Some of the centres even called for legal proceedings to be initiated so that they would have the opportunity to be presented with formal charges and to put up adequate defence.

Considering the allegations levelled on these centres and the great need to make examples of such defaulters in order to forestall a recurrence, many would argue that JAMB has been lax in not following through with the entire punitive process by putting sustained pressure on the security agencies to ensure speedy prosecution.

The cloud of uncertainty will remain as to the credibility of the allegations and the existence of a transparent process for the award of JAMB CBT centre status until alleged offenders are determined guilty by a competent court of law.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now