FG to scrap JAMB exam, NECO, NAPEP

The Federal Government of Nigeria is scrapping the National
Examinations Council, NECO, and the National Poverty Eradication
Programme, NAPEP among other government agencies. It is also divesting
the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board of powers to conduct
examinations into tertiary institutions in the country.
The government is taking the decision in order to streamline agencies
of government and reduce the cost of governance.
The decision, Vanguard gathered is part of the recommendations of the
Steve Oronsaye Panel Report on the reform of government agencies and
ministries.
The Oronsaye Committee Recommendations
Mr Oronsaye who was the former Head of the Civil Service of the
Federation recommended the abolition of 38 agencies, merger of 52 and
reversal of 14 to departments in ministries.
According to the white paper, which was drafted by a committee headed
by the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, the Joint
Admission and Matriculations Board would be divested of the powers to
conduct matriculation examinations into tertiary institutions while
universities would be allowed to conduct their entrance examinations
to students.
Although the JAMB would not be scrapped, it would be a mere
administrative structure that would set standard for minimum
requirements on how the various universities would conduct entrance
examinations.
JAMB to be re-modelled
JAMB will be modelled along same line with the body in the United
States of America which sets standards for admissions into
institutions of higher learning.
Other decisions taken by government on the Oronsaye committee include
the scrapping of the National Examinations Council, NECO, the National
Poverty Eradication Programme,NAPEP, and the National Complaints
Commission.
The report seen by Vanguard , recommended that the functions of NECO
would be assumed by the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, which
will also take over the structures of NECO nationwide.
In order to make up for the deluge of students who sit for the
external examinations of NECO, WAEC would be expected to conduct two
external examinations, one in January and another in November for
external students while still running its internal examination
programmes for secondary school students.
Under the proposal, the National Poverty Eradication Programme would
be replaced by an agency called National Agency for Job Creation and
Empowerment (NAJCE) while the National Complaints Commission will be
merged with the National Human Rights Commission.
The Government rejected the recommendation urging the scrapping of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt
Practices Commission and the Ministry of Police Affairs, saying it
would be counter productive.
A member of the committee told Vanguard that the decision was
preparatory to government's plans to overhaul major sectors in the
country.
"JAMB will be divested of the admission provision. It will no longer
conduct examinations but will be a clearing house. Every school will
admit its students.
"NECO will be scrapped and its infrastructure will be merged with that
of the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
"Universities will be allowed to set their standards but jamb will set
the minimum standard for admission into all tertiary institutions" the
source said.
Several efforts to reach the Special Adviser to the President on Media
and Publicity failed as he did not pick his phones as at the time of
this report.
It will be recalled that the Oronsaye report stated that the average
cost of governance in Nigeria is believed to rank among the highest in
the world.
Oronsaye said in his report that "there are 541 Government
Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies (statutory and non-statutory).
"Going by the recommendations of the Committee, the figure of
statutory agencies is being proposed for reduction to 161 from the
current figure of 263.
"The Committee believes that if the cost of governance must be brought
down, then both the Legislature and Judiciary must make spirited
efforts at reducing their running costs…"