Chairman of the Admissions and Matriculation Board Equal Opportunity Group, Peter Okebukola , an emeritus professor, on Thursday hailed Professor Is-haq Oloyede’s act of courage and commended him for admitting and acknowledging that there were unintentional flaws in the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Recall that Professor Is-haq Oloyede, who is the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), had on Wednesday presided over a press conference in Abuja during which he did a review of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and admitted shortcomings on the part of officials of the examination board.
206,610 candidates, he noted, would be retaking the examination in Lagos ditto 173,387 candidates in Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Anambra states.
In a statement he issued in Abuja on Thursday, Okebukola commended Oloyede for his ‘candour, courage, and transparency’ in responding to public concerns and in detailing the technical errors that affected some examination centres.
‘On behalf of JEOG, I extend our heartfelt solidarity and unwavering support to the Registrar, the entire JAMB leadership, and all candidates affected by the recent developments.
We commend the Registrar’s integrity and accountability in addressing the matter’ Okebukola said.
The statement also described the disclosures made by Professor Oloyede as a demonstration of fairness and transparency in Nigeria’s educational assessment process.
‘The decision to admit the oversight and initiate a remedial action reflects the best ideals of public service and accountability’ the group added while noting that the Board’s coordination with the West African Examinations Council to reduce possible conflicts for candidates taking concurrent exams is commendable.
Acknowledging that it has been a distressing time for the affected students and their families, JEOG however urged them to accept the apology and explanation made by Oloyede in good faith.
‘We stand with you during this challenging period.
We are confident that this episode will ultimately strengthen public trust in JAMB.
Let this serve as a reminder that while human systems may falter, our collective resolve to uphold justice and equity in education must never waver’ Okebukola added.
Lagos State University, Ojo in a statement issued by the Deputy Registrar and Coordinator, Centre for Information and Public Relations, Mrs Oluwayemisi Thomas-Onashile has also commended Professor Ishaq Oloyede for demonstrating accountability while urging Nigerians to support him.
This,the University noted, should also be considered as an opportunity to further strengthen the examination systems.
‘The events surrounding the conduct and outcome of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have rightly sparked public concern among well-meaning Nigerians.
However, the candid admission of technical failures that affected the examination and Oloyede’s decision to take full responsibility for the setback are precisely why LASU expresses its unwavering support for the JAMB Registrar’ she said.
‘He took full responsibility for the technical glitch and human errors that affected the results of 379,997 candidates who took the examination across five states in Lagos and the South-East, thus invalidating the results.
In the press conference, which is marked by courage and humility rather than shifting blame, Prof. Oloyede took full responsibility and immediately ordered a retake of the examination by all the affected candidates to restore confidence in the process.
LASU stands solidly with Prof. Oloyede, affirming not only his courage and humility in this testing time but also, the depth of character cum integrity.
The depth of character cum integrity has become the hallmark of his glittering career as a public servant’ Thomas-Onashile added.
She also noted that Oloyede’s decision to subject the process to an internal technical review and admit shortcomings was a reflection of his exceptional character.
‘It demonstrates the kind of leadership that is scarce in the Nigerian public space.
In fact, since taking office in 2016, Prof. Oloyede has transformed JAMB through comprehensive reforms that have significantly improved examination credibility and transparency.
He has increased public confidence in the examination body, attracting plaudits from far and near.
LASU has benefited immensely from the enhanced processes of JAMB, leading to the admission of better-qualified candidates in our university.
We, therefore, urge Nigerians to see this development, not as a failure but as an opportunity to strengthen our examination systems further.
We believe that supporting leaders who demonstrate accountability, rather than condemning them for isolated shortcomings, is essential for Nigeria’s progress.
May the Nigerian education family continue to make progress’ she submitted.
Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, Malete, Professor Shaykh-Luqman Jimoh has also commended the sincerity and proactiveness of Professor Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, while commending him for issuing a public apology and for taking responsibility for the unfortunate error which had marred the conduct of this year’s examination in some centres.
The prompt initiation of action to grant affected candidates the opportunity to retake the examination at no cost to them, are decisions that ‘KWASU considers exemplary, not just as a reflection of your sincerity and leadership, but one which affirms the integrity of the examination body and process, which tests seeking candidates seeking admission to higher institutions’ spokesperson for the university, Dr Saadat Aliyu submitted in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com on Thursday.
‘KWASU appreciates the sincerity and promptness with which JAMB addressed the matter and laid the facts bare to the concerned public. This will allay parents and candidates’ fears and ensure that the integrity of the examination body remains intact.
You have written your name and that of JAMB in the annals of history as a responsible institution worthy of emulation by people and organizations. It is our prayer that Allah grants you the strength to continue to serve Nigeria and humanity’ the statement added.
Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole has also commended what he called ‘exemplary leadership style’ of Professor Is’haq Oloyede, in the way he has handled the controversy attendant with the unintentional flaws recorded in the just concluded 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
‘Only a conscientious, sincere, and courageous leader with genuine compassion for the welfare of the people he serves could openly take responsibility for an incident surrounding the service delivery of an organization he heads but which glitch was not due to his personal negligence’ Egbewole , a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, submitted in a statement issued on his behalf by the University’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr Kunle Akogun, on Thursday.
He added that the disposition of the JAMB Registrar has clearly shown him as a leader who is conscious of the fact that the buck stops with him noting that ‘given the same circumstance, many Nigerian leaders would have regaled the public with untenable excuses to wash their hands clean of what had happened’.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that he was moved beyond words with the remarkable manner Emeritus Prof. Oloyede has addressed the matter, submitting that only a true leader would do what the JAMB Registrar has done.
‘It is not every leader that owns up to mistakes and even takes responsibility for infractions on the part of others’ he said.
Prof. Egbewole, however noted that he was not surprised with the candour displayed by the Registrar noting that as a total product of the University of Ilorin, Oloyede had been imbued with the right leadership values right from his undergraduate days and through his remarkable tenure as a staff member which culminated in his service to the University as its 8th Vice-Chancellor from 2007 to 2012.
Commending Oloyede for his forthrightness, Prof. Egbewole added that the University of Ilorin is very proud of this ‘distinguished alumnus’ who has always been one of its most valued ambassadors living up to the ideals of the University as a bastion of excellence, probity, and high impact service delivery.
The Vice-Chancellor urged other Nigerians, especially those in one leadership position or the other, to emulate the forthrightness of Emeritus Prof. Oloyede for Nigeria to regain her glorious past while wishing the JAMB Registrar a more productive and successful tenure.
The Rector, Federal Polytechnic Ayede, Dr. Taofeek Adekunle Abdul-Hameed has also in a statement issued by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Sunday Adepoju saluted the exceptional leadership shown by Prof. Is-haq Oloyede.
‘His willingness to take responsibility and address the issue head-on exemplifies the kind of leadership we need in our educational institutions. He has set a high standard for transparency and accountability that inspires trust among candidates, parents, and educational stakeholders alike.
Prof. Oloyede’s commitment to excellence is not new; his transformative leadership during his tenure as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin laid the foundation for significant advancements in academic standards and infrastructure. Under his guidance, the university embraced inclusivity, enhancing accessibility to education for all’ Dr. Abdul-Hameed said.
‘He is more than an administrator; he is a beacon of hope for educational excellence in Nigeria. His dedication to transparency and accountable leadership is an inspiration for us all’ he added.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has also commended the Jamb Registrar for his act of courage.
NANS National President, Olushola Oladoja in a letter sent to JAMB however requested to join others in monitoring the retake examination noting that this is in line with the association’s core mandate of protecting and advocating for the interests of Nigerian students, as well as promoting transparency and accountability in educational processes.
‘We write to commend the Board for its timely and transparent decision to conduct a retake of the 2025 UTME for candidates affected by technical and administrative issues across six states.
This move is a commendable demonstration of your commitment to justice, fairness, and the integrity of Nigeria’s education system.
In line with our core mandate, we hereby express our interest to supervise and monitor the conduct of the UTME retake examination across all affected centres’ Oladoja said.
NANS has also nominated people who will participate in the monitoring exercise in the affected states.
The nominees are, Dr Mike Ifenke and Frank Eme-Orji for Abia; Ikechukwu Santos and Ebube Ijeoma for Anambra; Ibeabuchi Onya and Olisa Nwuruku for Ebonyi.
Others are Chidi Nzekwe and Minister Udochukwu for Enugu state; Chinaemerem Emesowum and Chidiebere Aguocha for Imo; Afeez Akinteye and Busari Adelaja for Lagos State.
In the meanwhile, the youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, on Thursday, rejected the idea of candidates from the Southeast retaking the 2025 UTME submitting that such a decision is ‘totally unacceptable’.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, who said this in a statement on Thursday, said it will be a disservice for JAMB to subject the candidates to ‘another round of mental torture, stress, and risk’ for what was not in any way their fault.
The group has asked the examination board to award 300 marks to all the affected candidates.
‘We want to state unequivocally that our people will not accept any fresh examination, having already been subjected to mental torture by JAMB.
The candidates are not in the right frame of mind to undergo another examination, having been faced with mental torture ever since the fake results were announced.
Besides, who is going to bear the cost? The same parents who are facing severe financial challenges? What of the risk of moving to the examination locations, in a country ravaged by insecurity?
Having said this, we demand that JAMB should allocate 300 marks to all the South-East candidates affected by its own error, not that of the candidates. Igbo people are very brilliant people and could have made 300 and above’ he said-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
