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The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has said it will partner with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Akwa Ibom State to ensure that no illegal CBT centres operate in the state.
State Commandant of the Corps, Adeyinka Ayinla, gave the assurance when he visited to the state Coordinator of JAMB, Oboh Joseph at his office in Uyo yesterday.
He said intelligence reports have revealed that some CBT centres charged candidates more than the N4000 registration fee stipulated by JAMB and assured candidates that the NSCDC would collaborate with JAMB to ensure that candidates were not shortchanged.
“Extortion of JAMB candidates is becoming too rampant in the country. JAMB collects N4000 for the registration form but some organisations charge candidates N6000 and this has to stop. We must enforce compliance that candidates pay only N4000 as stipulated by JAMB. All illegal CBT centres must stop the act.
“All touts and illegal CBT centres in the state must be closed immediately. We don’t want that to continue. We will be going round CBT centres to enforce compliance. We have to be on surveillance. The NSCDC under the leadership of the Commandant General is ready to partner with you to enforce compliance,” he said.
Speaking, Oboh applauded the NSCDC for its doggedness, resilience and commitment to maintaining the image of the Corps, adding that the personnel deployed to work with him in JAMB office have shown a level of competence worthy of commendation.
He confirmed that some CBT centres were actually charging above JAMB’s stipulated registration fee of N4000, stressing that the board was doing everything possible to ensure that candidates were not overcharged.
“I know you people are equal to the task. Since you are here, I don’t have any fear again. All those who are out to cheat candidates are not acceptable by us, because we do not even like it.
“It is based on this that the JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede requested that we relate with people with the cognate experience, which is NSCDC to be our partner. We have tried the corps before and we believe that it has tested and trusted personnel and the corporate image, which we want sustained.
“We have 13 approved CBT registration centres in Akwa Ibom State, but they are grossly inadequate because we have discovered that after registration, some candidates might be posted to another state.
“The state government should create more centres. For instance, it can create at least three centres each at the Ibom e-Library, Akwa Ibom Polytechnic, Ikot Asurua, such that if the government creates up to nine additional centres, the private centres can now support and not private centres taking the lead,” he stated.
