Oloyede: I Need to Seek God’s Forgiveness After 10 Years as JAMB Registrar
Outgoing Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has said he will return to teaching and religious activities after completing his tenure, revealing that one of his foremost priorities is to seek God’s forgiveness for actions taken during his 10 years in public service.
Oloyede made the disclosure on Friday while handing over the affairs of the examination body to his successor, Prof. Segun Aina. He explained that his years in office exposed him to situations that tested his personal values and spiritual convictions, making it necessary for him to reflect, repent and renew his 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,” he said.
Reflecting on his decade-long stewardship, Oloyede said, “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 added that public service comes with difficult decisions that require accountability before God. “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 stated.
The former registrar also credited the achievements recorded during his tenure to the dedication and commitment of JAMB staff, expressing confidence that his successor would consolidate 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 Prof. Aina would take JAMB “to greater heights.”
Oloyede also revisited the controversy involving 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination candidate, Mmesoma Ejikeme, defending the board’s decision to impose a three-year ban after discovering that her UTME score had been altered from 249 to 362.
He maintained that the sanction was intended solely to protect the integrity of JAMB’s examination process, describing Mmesoma as “our daughter” and insisting that the board acted like 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.
Oloyede further noted that while many Nigerians initially believed the false claims surrounding the case, the truth eventually emerged and vindicated the board’s position.
“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 said.