The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has released the
2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) with a 15-year
old Ekene Franklin scoring the highest mark of 347. He applied to the
university of Lagos.
JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, who made the announcement
today in Abuja, said little Franklin from Imo state, who applied for
admission to the University of Lagos, might not be admitted for being
underage except he changes institution.
His plight is similar to the second highest scorer, 16-year-old Emmanuel
Chidiebube, who scored 346 and also had chosen UNILAG as his first
choice institution.
Oloyede disclosed that 1,886,508 candidates registered for the 2019
UTME, where 1,826,360 sat for the examinations and 59,667 absent, just
as results of 34,120 results were withheld and 15, 145 results of
identical twin undergoing scrutiny.
He lamented the various strategies used by examination malpractice
perpetrators, listing multiple registrations, impersonation, disruption
of examination processes, manipulation of biometrics, collusion of some
private Computer Bases Test (CBT) centres, with parents, among others as
factors aiding and abetting examination malpractice in the country.
‘It would be recalled that JAMB had cautioned in the media that no
candidate should register more than once and that multiple registrations
adversely affect data which impact negatively on education planning in
the country.
“We went further to announce that any candidate who wishes to gain
admission through Direct Entry and had registered for UTME need not
apply for DE separately but use the opportunity of an upgrade to the DE
status at no cost without having to register more than once. Double
registrations led to the cancellation of some results last year, but we
realised that this year not only double registrations, but also multiple
registrations were recorded. Someone for instance registered as many as
23 times for just a single examination.
“The foundation of examination malpractice is laid at the point of
registration with the active connivance of some CBT centre owners who
allowed themselves to be infiltrated by those who parade themselves as
owners of tutorial classes. Unfortunately, some elite institutions that
charge exorbitant fees, which they had made the parents part with in the
name of secondary education, became active in the procurement of ‘best
results’ for their students at all costs. These characters have
permeated the system such that it is Herculean to confront and dislodge
them. When one of the examination bodies recently decided that one
category of teachers would not supervise its public examinations, all
hell was let loose. However, the truth of the matter is that the body is
correct in its resolve”, Oloyede said.
He disclosed that there were various ways in which perpetrators involved
in multiple registration, stressing the use of “graduates and senior
undergraduates to write examinations in the name of their pampered
children who will then use the highest score to obtain admission to some
institutions of choice, the not-too-rich do multiple registrations by
simply re-arranging their names, then claim the highest of the scores
obtained.
“The extent of this infraction is appreciated through the huge amount of
money JAMB makes from the correction of names , dates of birth by the
perpetrators. One of the major strategies of JAMB to counter this is the
introduction of a short code where every candidate types his or her
name and sends it directly to 55019 on the particular phone.
“This was introduced in 2018 UTME but it did not reduce the menace of
multiple registrations as over N200 million was still paid to JAMB by
the syndicate to correct data relating to pre-meditated name -error.
Another means deployed was to register more than one candidate who will
all log into the exam hall and log out the legitimate owner who would
now call for help as a result of not being able to access the questions.
This scenario will ultimately cause the rescheduling of exams and allow
professional examination writers to have as many candidates as possible
to sit for”, Oloyede added.
On identical faces, he said this year, the Board deployed appropriate
technologies to detect not only the facial duplication of candidates,
but also biometric multiplication.
“The Board has also gone as far as identifying identical twins and
siblings whose existence should be recognized, but not allowed to create
a loophole for the fraudsters. Many twins across the country will
testify that we were in touch with them as a way of verifying their
identities. For those we are not sure of their distinct identities, we
have created a platform to justify their characteristics in order not to
throw the baby out with the bath water”, he added.
Consequently, the Registrar said those who have facial identities in
multiples were cross-checked further by ascertaining their fingerprints.
“Where fingerprints are not identical or not more than two registrants
even if their fingers are identical, we give them the benefit of the
doubt especially when only one exam was taken. We canceled those with
multiple registration and who wrote two or more examination with
identical finger prints.
“We, therefore, caution that this is the last time that double
registration will be given any consideration. Henceforth, anyone who
registers more than once will be taken to have engaged in examination
malpractice and be treated as such. The bloated figure of registrants
distorts data and derail proper planning”, he added.
