Academic Staff Union of Universities President, Osodeke, has said that the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board should learn a lesson from the case of Mmesoma Ejikeme, a candidate said to have altered her result.
Osodeke said JAMB could be overbearing, saying it should restrict itself to administering the exam but leave admission to schools.
This is as he said there was a need for the ‘common committee’ to unravel which party was being economical with the truth over the issue – between JAMB nad Ejikeme, who has insisted he never forged her result.
According to Osodeke, there is the need for a proper investigation before running into conclusions in whatever form, by members of the public, in a bid not to malign anyone.
”For me, I don’t see it as right to respond to this whole thing now that it has not clearly been defined. JAMB is claiming its own right and the candidate too is making her own claim.
“My advice to Nigerians at this moment, however, is not to be in a hurry to draw conclusions. Let us all wait for a central report.
“As I mentioned earlier, there is the need for both the Federal Government, owner of the JAMB and the Anambra Government, home state of the candidate, to come up with a common committee, to carry out out a thorough independent investigation on the matter.
“Through this, we will be able to determine the truth, that is what we should do.
“Having said this too, JAMB should also strive to restrict itself to its core mandate or function of conducting examination and setting benchmark.
”The idea of it being the one conducting examination, setting benchmark and doing admissions too, should be looked into” the unionist stated.
According to the ASUU boss, the board will not have found itself in this current situation if it had restricted itself to just conducting the examination and forwarding results of candidates who subscribed to the respective institutions of higher learning.
“This is what we have been saying over the years. JAMB should know where to draw the line.
“We are saying that if for instance, 10,000 candidates who subscribed for University of Ibadan as their first choice wrote the examination, their results should be harnessed and forwarded to the Senate of that university to do the admissions by itself.
“They should be the ones to determine whom they admit and this should not be the role of JAMB,” Osodeke argued.
