THE WAY WE ARE: JAMB ON THE SPOTLIGHT
The Oasis Reporters
February 17, 2018
Yakubu Aliu, Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board, (JAMB) coordinator of Kano State could not account for N20 million.
Priscilla Ogunsola, JAMB coordinator of Edo State could not account for N31m.
In Plateau State, Zakada Yakubu could not explain the disappearance of N15 million.
Yobe State Coordinator of JAMB, Sanusi Atose, has blamed the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East for his inability to account for N613,000 belonging to the board.
Daniel Agbor, Kogi State coordinator of JAMB, couldn’t account for N7m.
Official of Benue State JAMB office, Philomena Chieshe, claimed a snake swallowed N36 million government cash in her custody.
State coordinator of JAMB in Nasarawa State, Labaran Tanko, claimed that scratch cards worth N23 million were destroyed when his car caught fire.
Murtala Abdul, a staff of the board in Gombe State, reported that some officials forged his signature and stole N10,283,000 at the state office.
In the case of Ondo State, the state coordinator, Olaolu Adeniyi, said N1.34 million disappeared when his accountant was on dialysis.
The nation needs a systemic approach to CORRUPTION.
Fighting corruption is not just about going after top officials or political opponents only.
Very important component of the war must include Prevention and Curbing the practice of corruption. Politicizing it and demonizing people may give sensational news but do very little in advancing the cause of the Struggle.
If all Jamb registrations and payments are done online for instance, there is instant elimination of possibility of officials stealing the funds under whatever guise.
The Netherlands reduced official corruption by over 90% by just employing technology in virtually all official businesses and transactions.
Also government must attend to and endeavour to remove the “needs” in people’s lives which are gratified by corrupt practices. e.g. Shelter, adequate help, quality education for children, payment for quality health care etc.
Another great help will be the application of Effective sanctions that are just and equitable applicable across board to the rich and poor and to the mighty and the lowly. Non discriminatory, partisan or parochial.
Empirical evidence abound that corruption has nearly become a culture in our society and has been deeply entrenched in virtually every facet of our national existence. It also seems to have been endemic for a very very long time.
Tackling it must therefore be wholistic, realistic and decisive. Whatever we do must be practical and sustainable. Our laws and institutions viz; police and judiciary must be strengthened and reformed with modern techniques to be effective.
Wages must be commensurate and adjusted continually to current living standards. Health and education must be heavily subsidized by government, while provision of shelter for the working class must be done through convenient mortgage options.
The fight against corruption cannot be time bound and neither should it be personified. Rather it must be in-built in the system and operational nearly independently from one government to the other.
Written by Doyin Okupe
