The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has warned all its ad hoc staff against discrimination based on religion in the screening of candidates for the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.
The spokesman of the board, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, made this known on Thursday in a statement he issued.
The warning was based on the reported discrimination against an hijab-wearing candidate at Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre in Ibadan.
JAMB declared that the act of discrimination was neither perpetrated by the centre nor part of its official protocol.
It said the discrimination was carried out by an overzealous ad hoc staff member who failed to adhere to the board’s established guidelines regarding candidates’ religious attire.
The statement reads in part: “The attention of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has been drawn to an incident at the Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre in Ibadan.
“Through its monitoring mechanisms, the Board observed the occurrence during the screening exercise for the first session of the examination day on Thursday, 16th. The Board promptly intervened by calling the ad hoc official involved to order and issuing immediate instructions that no candidate wearing a hijab should be asked to remove or alter it…
“JAMB categorically affirms that such actions are not in line with its screening procedures. The Board respects the religious beliefs and customs of all Nigerians and has addressed the situation promptly and appropriately.
“We assure all candidates, regardless of faith, that their rights to religious expression including dressing remain a cornerstone of our policy.
“For the avoidance of doubt, all ad hoc staff have been further briefed and reminded of the approved procedures for screening candidates at all centres.”
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