The outgoing Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has said he is returning to academia and religious activities after completing his 10-year tenure, declaring that he needs time to “go back and beg God” after the demands of public service.
Oloyede made the remarks during the handover to the new Registrar, Prof. Aina, where he also defended JAMB’s controversial decision to impose a three-year ban on 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination candidate, Mmesoma Ejikeme, insisting he had no regrets because the board acted to protect the integrity of its examination process.
The former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin said his years in public office had been both professionally and spiritually demanding, adding that he looked forward to a quieter life in the classroom and renewed commitment to his faith.
“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.
He added, “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.”
Explaining why he felt the need for spiritual renewal, Oloyede said, “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.”
The outgoing registrar attributed the successes recorded by JAMB during his tenure to the commitment of members of staff and expressed 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, adding that he was confident Aina would take JAMB “to greater heights.”
Reflecting on the Mmesoma Ejikeme controversy, Oloyede maintained that JAMB’s decision to sanction the candidate, who inflated her UTME score from 249 to 362, was justified and necessary to preserve the credibility of the board’s examinations.
He described Mmesoma as “our daughter” and said the board acted as a responsible parent correcting a child rather than out of malice.
“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.
He added, “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 although he regretted that some Nigerians initially believed the false narrative, the board 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 sanction imposed on the candidate was intended to deter examination malpractice rather than punish her out of spite.
“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,” he said.
In his acceptance remarks, the new registrar, Prof. Aina, pledged to preserve JAMB’s reputation for integrity and transparency, warning that the board would continue to deploy technology to combat examination malpractice.
“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,” Aina said.
He added that his immediate priority would be to study the board’s operations before introducing any reforms.
“My immediate priority will be to listen, observe and thoroughly interrogate existing systems before implementing changes,” he said
Appointed JAMB Registrar in 2016, Oloyede oversaw sweeping reforms that strengthened the board’s computer-based testing system, enhanced transparency in admissions and significantly increased remittances to the Federal Government. His administration also introduced technological innovations aimed at curbing impersonation, result falsification and other forms of examination malpractice.
One of the defining moments of his tenure came in 2023 when JAMB sanctioned Mmesoma Ejikeme after investigations established that she had manipulated her UTME result.
Although the decision initially sparked widespread public debate, subsequent investigations and admissions by those involved vindicated the board’s position and reinforced its commitment to protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s tertiary admissions process..