After spending a decade at the helm of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), outgoing Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, says he is leaving public service with one major priority – to seek God’s forgiveness and return to the classroom.
Speaking during the official handover ceremony to the new JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, Oloyede reflected on the weight of leadership, saying the responsibilities of public office had taken a toll on him both professionally and spiritually. He also revisited JAMB’s controversial handling of the 2023 UTME case involving Mmesoma Ejikeme, maintaining that he had no regrets over the Board’s decision.
The former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin said he is eager to resume academic work after completing his 10-year tenure.
“But for me, what’s next is back to my class and my religious activities. I think that is what is next for me,” Oloyede said.
Looking back on his years in office, he admitted that serving in Government often required difficult decisions that tested his personal convictions.
“You cannot serve in these past 10 years without losing one spiritual quality or the other, so I need to go back and we are in a very dangerous system that in one way or the other you will have violated your own principles yourself,” he said.
Explaining why he plans to dedicate more time to his faith, Oloyede added: “You need some time to go and beg God for what was done. And you have to accept the responsibility because for each and every one of them.”
He credited JAMB’s achievements during his tenure to the dedication and commitment of the Board’s workforce, expressing confidence that his successor would build on the reforms introduced over the past decade.
“The achievements recorded during my time in office were made possible by the collective commitment and hard work of the Board’s workforce,” he said.
Oloyede also expressed optimism that Prof. Aina would take the examination body “to greater heights.”
He revisited one of the defining controversies of his administration – the 2023 sanction imposed on former UTME candidate, Mmesoma Ejikeme, after JAMB accused her of manipulating her examination result.
The controversy began after Mmesoma claimed she scored 362 in the 2023 UTME, while JAMB insisted her authentic score was 249 and alleged that the higher score was generated using a falsified result slip.
The incident sparked nationwide debate before subsequent investigations eventually upheld JAMB’s position.
Reflecting on the case, Oloyede said the Board acted solely to protect the credibility of its examination process and not out of malice.
Describing Mmesoma as “our daughter,” he said JAMB handled the matter the way a responsible parent would discipline a child.
“No hard feelings. If there is any regret, it is that she did what she did because she is part of us. We did what we should do and, of course, we regret that she did what she did,” he said.
According to him, many Nigerians initially believed the student’s account before the facts were established.
“Many people, unfortunately, were misdirected. But as soon as the truth was established, everybody who was supporting her accepted the truth of the matter.”
Oloyede said he regretted that some members of the public accepted the false narrative but was satisfied that JAMB was ultimately vindicated.
“Every parent wants to believe his or her child. When you see them, you want to believe that they are too innocent to manufacture such things. So, I mostly regret that some people supported that narrative, but I am happy that at the end of the day, we have been vindicated.”
He stressed that the three-year ban imposed on the candidate was intended to discourage examination malpractice rather than serve as an act of vengeance.
“Of course, that does not remove the punishment she had to serve. It’s not out of wickedness, but in order to serve as a deterrent.
“Once we do not do things on the basis of hatred, and the office requires that we do certain things and we do them, there should be no regret. There should be no hard feelings. So, no regrets.”
In his acceptance speech, the new JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, pledged to sustain the Board’s reputation for transparency and integrity, while warning that examination malpractice would continue to be tackled through technology-driven measures.
