The new Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Segun Aina, has pledged to intensify the fight against examination malpractice, warning perpetrators that the board will deploy every available legal and technological tool to detect and prosecute offenders.
Aina made the pledge on Friday during his inaugural address after officially assuming office as JAMB registrar, succeeding Professor Ishaq Oloyede, whose 10-year tenure ended on July 31.
The computer engineering professor said safeguarding the integrity of JAMB would be the foremost priority of his administration, stressing that the board would continue to strengthen its examination processes through technology and collaboration with security agencies.
“To those who organise examination malpractice… To those who compromise CBT centres… Hear me clearly. Your business is with the wrong institution,” Aina said.
“JAMB will continue to deploy every lawful, technological, administrative and investigative measure available to detect, deter and prosecute examination malpractice.”
Aina said his administration would be guided by strong institutions rather than individual personalities, noting that his success would be measured by the resilience of the board’s systems.
“If at the end of my stewardship, JAMB becomes less dependent on individuals and more dependent on strong systems, less vulnerable to personalities, and more resilient because of its culture, then I shall consider my service worthwhile,” he said.
Aina promised to improve service delivery by making JAMB more responsive to candidates, parents and other stakeholders.
He said every interaction with the board should leave candidates and parents feeling respected and better informed.
“Every interaction with JAMB should leave a customer feeling more informed, more respected, and less anxious than when they arrived,” he said.
Aina also encouraged members of staff to embrace innovation by proposing new ideas and challenging outdated processes.
He further appealed to vice chancellors, provosts, regulatory agencies, parents and other stakeholders to partner with JAMB in strengthening Nigeria’s admissions system.
The registrar urged officials to place the interests of Nigerian students at the centre of every decision.
“Before we answer an email, before we approve a document… let us each ask ourselves, will what I do today make it easier or harder for an honest Nigerian child to realise their dreams? If the answer is harder, then we must not do it,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu appointed Aina as JAMB registrar in May to succeed Oloyede. At 39, he became the youngest person to be appointed as the registrar of the examination body.