A legal practitioner, Mr. Geoffey Oparaji has written to the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede asking him to stop violating the statue that established the organisation.

The lawyer accused the registrar of violating its statue in a letter dated April 5, noting that the law establishing JAMB forbade the organisation from conducting examinations and aptitude tests for non educational institutions.

He, however, commended the JAMB registrar for the achievements he had recorded so far. According to him, 5(1)(a) and (2) of the the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Act Chapter 193 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria restricts JAMB to conducting examinations for only educational institutions.

The letter to the JAMB Registrar read: “I humbly refer you to the provisions of section 5(1)(a) and (2) of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Act that provides thus:

Section 5(1)(a) stated, “Notwithstanding the provisions of any other enactment, the Board shall be responsible for the general control of the conduct of matriculation examinations for admissions into all universities, polytechnics, (by whatever name called in Nigeria).

‘”For the avoidance of doubt, the Board shall be responsible for determining matriculation requirements and conducting examination leading to undergraduate admissions and also for admission to National Diploma and the Nigeria Certificate in Education courses but shall not be responsible for examinations or any other selective process for post-graduate courses and any other courses offered by the tertiary institutions.”

The lawyer argued that the above provisions restricted JAMB only to conducting examinations listed in the said Act. He, therefore, accused the JAMB of acting with total disregard for its enabling law.

He wrote: “I specifically refer you to the Board’s recent involvement in the Nigeria Police recruitment of staff and personnel. That is, selection and conducting test examinations.

“Also the advert in some of the Nigerian daily newspapers indicating the board’s willingness and preparedness to bid for contracts from individuals, public, corporate bodies, governments and agencies for recruitment of staff, conduct aptitude tests and other related and allied services and activities.”

The lawyer said that this deviation amounted to “total and gross breach” of JAMB enabling Act. He threatened to file a suit against JAMB except it limits itself to the mandate given to it by the law.