The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has successfully registered 1,650, 547 candidates for the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The board disclosed this in a statement signed by its Head of Media, Dr Fabian Benjamin, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

NAN recalls that the board commenced the 2018 UTME registration on Dec.6, 2017 and closed on Feb. 11, after extending the registration for five days.

According to him, a total of 1,662,818 candidates paid and obtained the e-pins, while 1,650,547 had successfully registered for the 2018 UTME, at the close of pin vending.

Benjamin, however, urged the public to note that “all candidates who had paid and obtained pins but could not successfully register as at the close of sale are allowed to quickly do so within 24 hours.”

This, he said, was necessary as it would not entertain complaints afterwards from those who are unable to do so.

The spokesman emphasised that the continuation of the registration process was for only the candidates, who had initiated registration processes, paid and procured the registration e-pins but could not register as at the close of sales.

“Take note that candidates are not to generate any profile code for the purpose of 2018 UTME registration as doing so would have no effect and a waste of time and resources,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the snake issue, the Board maintained that there was “no hiding place for any form of criminality to thrive in the running of its activities.

“The Board would deploy all available resources to arrest and prosecute anyone found undermining the integrity of the Board, irrespective of who is involved.”

Benjamin recalled that the Prof. Ishaq Oloyede-led management had, on assumption of duty, embarked on a tour of JAMB state offices to ascertain financial stand and general operations.

He said some of the reforms introduced by Oloyede on assumption of office in 2016, included the recommendation of an end to the use of scratch cards, replacing it with more efficient and effective modes of pin vending.

“UTME candidates before now purchased scratch cards from our offices nationwide and designated centres to gain access to the Board’s website for either registration or other essential services.

“It was in the process of the routine audit and other checks of state offices account and activities that an official in charge of the Benue state office of the Board was found wanting.

“This happened in an effort to give an accurate account of the proceeds realised from the sales of the cards.

“We are not going to take lightly our fight against corruption no matter who is involved.

“We are going to unravel, arrest and prosecute this alleged mysterious snake, just as we are going to bring to book, any of our officers or stakeholders who are caught in any activity not in line with the Board’s policies.

“A number of persons have indeed been discovered to have misappropriated funds belonging to the Board and the one at hand currently is one of such numerous cases of misappropriation in the state offices.

“We are out to carry careful scrutiny of government funds, as well as block all leakages and loopholes,” Benjamin said.

He further explained that the officer in question in its Benue office and many others states, found in similar situations had diverted the fund before the assumption of office of the present Registrar.

“However, the Board reiterates that the management is working assiduously to arrest and hand over to the appropriate quarters, the said “snake” that swallowed N36 million and a host of other monies in its system.

“The Board also has deployed machineries in its bid to fight corruption, infractions, and admission malpractice, financial misappropriation in a total and comprehensive manner,” he said.

According to him, “In JAMB, we have nothing to hide; we run an open door system where the public must have an unfettered access to information, be it positive or negative, whether in the present or past.” (NAN)

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