As he bows out after a decade as Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede says he is returning to university teaching and will also devote more time to his religious life.
Oloyede spoke on Friday in Abuja while formally handing over the leadership of JAMB to the newly appointed Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina. Reflecting on his years in office, he said public service often comes with difficult choices that can challenge one’s personal values and spiritual life.
According to him, stepping away from office will give him the opportunity to reconnect with his academic career and focus on spiritual renewal.
He said, “But for me, what’s next is back to my class and my religious activities. I think that is what is next for me.
“You cannot serve in these past 10 years without losing one spiritual quality or the other, so I need to go back. We are in a very dangerous system that, in one way or the other, you will have violated your own principles.
“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 praised JAMB workers for their dedication, saying the board’s successes over the last 10 years were made possible through teamwork. Oloyede also expressed optimism that the new registrar would strengthen the reforms already introduced.
He said, “The achievements recorded during my time in office were made possible by the collective commitment and hard work of the Board’s workforce,” adding that he believed Prof. Aina would take the organisation “to greater heights.”
On the controversy surrounding 2023 UTME candidate Mmesoma Ejikeme, the outgoing registrar insisted the board acted appropriately after investigations confirmed her score had been altered from 249 to 362.
Referring to the candidate as “our daughter,” Oloyede said the action taken by JAMB was aimed at protecting the integrity of the examination system rather than targeting her personally.
He said, “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.
“Many people, unfortunately, were misdirected. But as soon as the truth was established, everybody who was supporting her accepted the truth of the matter.”
He added that the three-year ban imposed on the candidate was intended to serve as a deterrent against examination malpractice.
In his remarks, the new registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, pledged to preserve JAMB’s reputation for integrity and innovation, noting that he would first familiarise himself with the board’s operations before making any policy changes.
He said, “The integrity of JAMB is not negotiable. Those harbouring thoughts of outsmarting the system should abandon such plans because our technology-driven processes will continue to frustrate every form of malpractice and fraud.
“My immediate priority will be to listen, observe and thoroughly interrogate existing systems before implementing changes.”