Ishaq Oloyede, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registrar, has accused Nigerian universities of awarding IJMB/JUPEB certificates to candidates seeking direct entry but did not attend their institutions.

Mr Oloyede alleged that some of the certificates issued by the Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) and Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB) centres for direct entry into universities were fake.

He made the allegation in Abuja on Tuesday at the 2021 Batch ‘B’ pre-mobilisation workshop of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

IJMB and JUPEB are national educational programmes approved by the federal government.

They are qualifying examinations (coordinated by some universities with centres across the country) for candidates seeking direct entry admissions into Nigerian and foreign universities.

Mr Oloyede, however, expressed worry over the proliferation of IJMB and JUPEB training centres across the country.

He alleged that some of the candidates who attended most of the centres did not merit the certificates given to them because they never attended a class but bought certificates with money.

“I give you one example; you are in a position to know. You run IJMB and JUPEP. How many of these students are actually your students? Go on the streets of Nigeria, everywhere you see IJMB. These candidates are not supposed to be attending that. They are supposed to be in higher institutions.

“In Abuja here, you can find up to 100, and they will publicly put it ‘IJMB training centre,’ this is totally wrong,” he said.

Meanwhile, the JAMB registrar commended the National Identification Number (NIN) introduction.

“This year, we use National Identification Number (NIN), and we are very happy because examination malpractice, particularly impersonation in crimes, has reduced, and that is why many people are not happy with us. If they have anything to do with JAMB, they say something different,” Mr Oloyede explained.

(NAN)