The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede has disclosed how the pressure as a result of the technical glitches experienced during the UTME in parts of the South-East and Lagos State almost made him resign.
Oloyede revealed this at a stakeholders’ meeting with Chief External Examiners, state technical advisers, and other key stakeholders involved in the conduct of the examination in Abuja on Wednesday.
“When this happened, my first reaction is to resign, but people advised me that the students will never forgive you because it will look like you have abandoned them at such a time,” Oloyede said.
He dismissed claims of conspiracy theory against some parts of the country following the technical glitches recorded during the conduct of the UTME.
Oloyede emphasised that the UTME is a placement test, not a measure of intelligence or academic potential. “Its purpose is to rank candidates for limited admission slots, not to test how smart someone is,” he clarified.
.“I take responsibility, not because I failed, but because that’s leadership. I didn’t even realise people viewed issues around me through ethnic lenses. We must rise above such profiling,” he stated.
He praised both candidates and staff for their resilience amid logistical difficulties.
“We had limited space. We knew if we wasted more time grieving the challenges, students would lose their opportunity,” he said.
The special mop-up exam will be scheduled soon, and JAMB says it remains committed to transparency and fairness in admissions.
