Federal govt commends JAMB chief Ishaq Oloyede over N8 billion remittance

The Federal Government has commended the Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, for remitting the sum of N8 billion to the Federation account.

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, gave the commendation while laying the foundation stone for the construction of a 500-seater Computer Based Test Centre (CBT) at Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare, Bauchi State.

Adamu also commended JAMB for the establishment of JAMB CBTs across the country, saying that the development would increase access to ‎technology based tests as obtained elsewhere in the world.

The minister who was represented by the Vice Chancellor, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, Professor Saminu Ibrahim, said that the innovations brought by JAMB under the leadership of Oloyede have helped in saving a lot of money for the government.

“In this light, I want to commend the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, for his commitment to widen access to modern education by the creation of CBT centres across the country and also remitting the sum of N8 billion back to the coffers of the Federal Government,” Adamu said.

On the proposed CBT centre at Azare, the minister disclosed that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is the sole sponsor of the project expected to be completed in 90 days.

He said that the NCC and JAMB have created a healthy synergy in carrying out the presidential directive for the establishment of CBTs in order to provide easy access to candidates to writing JAMB tests using technology.

“The innovations brought by JAMB have helped in saving a lot of resources for the government which has led to the remittance of billions of Naira which has not been witnessed in the past,” he stressed.

Also speaking, Prof. Oloyode said that JAMB was determined to fully transit form the traditional form of conducting tests for candidates to the use of modern technology.

Represented by JAMB’s Director, Test Administration, Dr. Yusuf Lawal, the Registrar said that since the establishment of the Board in 1977, JAMB has been carrying out its mandate of regulating admission intake successfully in the country.

He urged heads of educational institutions to continue collaborating with JAMB by providing vital information on their programmes and policies.

Oloyede added that such cooperation would provide a good platform to create synergy between the examination body ‎and educational institutions and provide quality students through selection of best candidates for the institutions.

He said that the CBT centres were being established evenly across Southern and Northern Nigeria with pioneer centres first established in Bayelsa and Oyo in the South and two established in Kano and Niger States in the North.

Oyodele added that centres been established Adamawa, Kebbi, Osun and Edo States.

The Provost of Aminu Saleh College of Education Azare, Dr. Abdullahi Isyaku, praised NCC and JAMB for providing the centre at the College saying it would serve the entire Bauchi North and make it easy for candidates from the area to access CBT centres.

Isyaku also commended the NCC for donating over 100 laptops to the College saying that the establishment of an ICT centre by the state government has increased access to technology in the College.