Aisha Yesufu criticises JAMB for charging extortionate fees
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Social critic Aisha Yesufu has criticised the extortion going on at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) which enables it to charge students such high fees that yielded N50 billion to the federal treasury in one year.
The amount charged by JAMB for applicants to write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) varies every year but the regulator has been making “profit” for some time from an exercise that simply processes university admission for students who are mostly from poor homes.
Yesufu argued on her X handle that JAMB may be widening the gap in education by extorting money from poor and vulnerable students, whereas JAMB is not supposed to be a money making organisation.
Her post followed remark by Vice President Kashim Shettima that JAMB Registrar Ishaq Oloyede, a Professor, made over N50 billion for the federal government within a year.
Shettima, who spoke on tackling corruption at a public engagement organised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), disclosed JAMB never produced up to N1 million for the treasury before Oloyede assumed office.
The disclosure got Yesufu upset and led to her alleging JAMB may be overcharging students.
“Let me say what I have said before. JAMB is not supposed to be a money making organisation,” she posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“JAMB making 50bn means JAMB is over charging students.
“I will even call it extortion of poor and vulnerable students and widening the educational inequality gap.”
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Nigeria shuts down 58 illegal private varsities, proprietors arrested
JAMB is cashing in on the massive appetite for higher education in Nigeria, which does not have space for most university applicants every year.
The quest compels some parents to send their wards to schools abroad or to patronise foreign universities operating locally, many of which lack accreditation and are therefore illegal.
Abuja in January closed 58 illegal private universities operating in Nigeria as part of the consequences of the scam uncovered at a university in Cotonou, Benin Republic, where journalist Umar Audu posed undercover to obtain a degree in six weeks and took part in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
National Universities Commission (NUC) acting Executive Secretary Chris Maiyaki warned that certificates obtained from the illegal universities or their satellite campuses will not be recognised for the NYSC or employment or further studies.
The Department of State Services (DSS) is involved in the clampdown on the illegal institutions and their promoters, Maiyaki disclosed on Channels Television.
He counselled parents and guardians to check the NUC website for legal and illegal universities in Nigeria to prevent their children and wards falling victims to quack schools.
Illegal institutions as “degree mills”
A statement signed by Maiyaki which listed the fake universities said other nine institutions/campuses that are “Degree Mills” are undergoing further investigations and/or ongoing court actions.
He explained the purpose of the actions is to prosecute the proprietors and recover illegal fees and charges paid by subscribers.
“For the avoidance of doubt, anybody who patronises or obtains any certificate from any of these illegal institutions does so at his or her own risk.
“Certificates obtained from these sources will not be recognised for the purposes of NYSC, employment, and further studies,” Maiyaki warned.in the statement.