Tackling malpractice in UTME

CREDIBILITY, improvement and genuine innovations came to the fore during the just-concluded UTME examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The board has demonstrated patriotism and selfless commitment.

I am personally elated that Nigeria can boast of credible examinations, thanks to JAMB’s ingenuity and brilliance. The use of close circuit television (CCTV) in an examination centre is totally unbelievable.  Had parents who encouraged their children to cheat known this, perhaps they would not have embarked on that course of action. There  is no short cut to greatness; shortcuts are short lived.

Erring students and their collaborators should not go unpunished to serve as a deterrent to other students and parents/guardians who encourage corruption and rob other, more deserving students of opportunities.

In Nigeria, we blame all our shortcomings on the government and politicians without checking how we have affected the nation with our selfishness.

Erring students should be denied admissions into any tertiary institution for at least three years in Nigeria or abroad.

Any parent who encourages his/her children to cheat, if he or she is a public or civil servant, should be demoted or relieved of the position.

Non-government workers should serve  jail terms or subsequently made to serve the government in any capacity for months or years depending on the gravity of the offence, without pay. No matter how highly placed the offenders are, JAMB must not compromise. Examination malpractice is a criminal offence and should be treated as such.

Most of the cultists in our tertiary institutions are products of ‘miracle centres’ and examination malpractices.

Now that JAMB has made miracle

centres mirage and miserable centres, parents and guardians must warn their children against it and sit tight for real study.

INEC can exploit this opportunity of pre-installing CCTV in polling centres across the nation or in their devices to accelerate election tribunals  judgments end election manipulation and ultimately make people’s votes count.

• Adebusoye Francis

Ibadan, Oyo State