Prof Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) would appear to be in the eyes of the storm in the last few weeks. This is not unconnected with the terribly poor performances of the candidates that sat for the last Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). As the results were released by the Board and causalities were high due to the failure rate amongst the candidates that took the examination, there was uproar from some quarters.
While the agonizing was ongoing by the affected or concerned people, on the other side of the divide were those who believed that the mass failure reflected the degree of preparation by the candidates, and by extension, the quality of the knowledge imparted and/or acquired. While this debate was raging, the Board undertook a review of its system and detected glitches in few of the centers and on some days the examination took place. While over 2 millioncandidates registered for the examination, 1.94 millionsat for the examination.
Over seventy percent eventually scored below the half mark. The outcome of the system audit however showed that 379,997 of the candidates were affected by the glitches and scheduled to retake the examination. Upon the detection of the glitches, the Registrar of the Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, addressed a press conference in which he detailed out the issues and apologized to the affected stakeholders generally while in tears for what ordinarily, someone else’s head ought to roll, thus assuming responsibility for the system failure and glitches. This is statesmanship at its best.
Generally, in situations where this sort of thing occurs in public office, some other officials, particularly the technical people in this stance, would have been sacrificed. This is the pattern in many places. The approach of the Registrar was to take responsibility without playing blame game. This is thus simply exceptional. Permit me to derail briefly into an area that is not the crux of my engagement but I think it is tangential to the root cause of the problem. Regardless of the glitches, as contended in some quarters, many candidates siting for the examination these days are hardly prepared as they either lack the will to do so, believe in cheating or were not properly tutored.
What is the quality of the teachers saddled with the basic responsibility of imparting knowledge in them? Certainly nothing to write home about. Even the infrastructures are lacking. How many of the candidates, prior to the examination, actually have access to computers, distinct from the telephone devices they use for chatting and other extraneous purposes? Besides, where is the incentive to even study, or attend classes in the first instance while their predecessors that burnt the midnight candles are still jobless and roaming the streets as politicians or political office holders, without the educational qualifications, are thriving? They are not oblivious of the reign of the “yahoo yahoo” boys’‘successes’.
They have seen a lot ‘money-miss-road’ celebrities with little or no education and what will be the basis to burn the midnight oil, suffer rigorous sacrifices only to end up being jobless after graduation? And that is why they say in the street lingo that ‘school na scam’. With a catalogue of these and other ‘short cut’ avenues to wealth, they are uninspired to study or prepare for any educational task.
Again, while some parents buy the way for the candidates, other candidates buy their way with gains from fraudulent enterprises. In the midst of this, what truly and really does the society expect other than mass failure? Thus, for some of us, while the unfortunate glitches require critical investigation to prevent re-occurrence, a primary issue at hand is the need for a total overhaul of our primary and secondary education to start with.
I have considered the issue of the glitches, as important as it is, to be secondary since the percentage of students affected is less than 20% of the entire registrants for the examinations. The implication is that the percentage of those who genuinely failed the exams is about 60% of those who registered for the exams. The meaning is that there is something critically wrong with our educational system as a situation where more than half of candidates in an exam fail is not encouraging at all.
The foundation is faulty and once the foundation is lacking, nothing really can be built on it. This should worry and concern us more. It is instructive to note that it is not JAMB that prepares the students for the examination but the various institutions between the primary and the secondary schools. Now back to the gravamen of our discussion, the man at the center of the controversy.
What is the pedigree of the man we are interrogating? Beyond being an academic with an unblemished record, he rose to become the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin. During his tenure, great strides were accomplished and you only need to visit the institution or interview those who witnessed his reign to validate this. No scandal beleaguered his tenure and that was the period when the academic calendar of the university was restored to its old format. Upon assumption of office as the Registrar of the Board, the operation and activities of the organization has been subject of continuous improvement.
The Board has become one organization that constantly reviews its operations for the purpose of improvement. It is during his tenure that all manner of corrupt practices were unveiled and tamed. Remember the popular case of rats consuming millions of naira. It is during his tenure that the Board started remitting substantial sums back to the treasury of the government.
It is during his tenure that the Board became virtually financially independent not because he was charging excessive fees from students but has institutionalised financial honesty and probity in the system. I can continue to replicate all these positives endlessly. For those who know Prof Oloyede, and the staff will attest to his prudence when it comes to the resources of the Board.
The staff will tell you the type of moderate hotel accommodation they stay while on assignments. The Registrar is no exception in this as on few occasions that he visited Lagos officially and I have had to visit him, I must confess that as prudent as I believe I am, I could not have stayed in such hotel facilities. It is a complete low key facility unbefitting of his status, if I may say so.
Even, in terms of logistics, short of patronizing public transport, he goes around with vehicles not much decent than what we call ‘kabu kabu’ in Lagos, some ramshackle equipment. This is a man who has practically standardised computer conduct of the examination with a turn-around time of releasing results almost making it automatic.
In the olden days, results of JAMB examinations would be released after three months. Here we have a man who has proven that it is possible to make things work in Nigeria. That is the man we are interrogating. The challenge in Nigeria is that we quickly forget things, particularly, the positive ones. Only bad news endures in the country. Otherwise even assuming without conceding that the error is attributable to the Registrar, have we forgotten all the above quickly?
Are these not uncommon features in public service? I would have thought that a man with that kind of formidable profile would be encouraged rather than damnified. Anyway, I am not surprised at the turn of events by the few people carrying out the hatchet job of condemning the man.
Funny characters who have failed in personal and national assignments are now talking in the name of being South East Reps in the National Assembly and calling for the resignation of a great achiever.
Have they delivered on the UNESCO recommendation of appropriating 20 percent of budget to education before this grandstanding? Is it South East alone that is affected? How come it is described as National shame by the same Caucus if truly it is South East that is affected? Why trigger undue ethnic colouration in a matter apparently innocent? I say no more! I simply regard it as a case of corruption fighting back. So many are stunned by his achievements so far; staff that were denied business-as-usual opportunity; contractors of equal disposition that could not thrive, and so many dreamers for the job.
The good news however is that as these few are at work, many are out there equally appreciating the gigantic work of the Registrar. I have read so many in that regard that I lost count. This gladdens my heart. In any situation where we found the likes of Prof Oloyede in public service, I think we must rejoice. Prof, I doff my hat for you in two main regards. Firstly, for braving it to admit the errors of the Board, that was a bold move, uncharacteristic of public officers in Nigeria. Secondly, for accepting responsibility as the head of the organization though it is obvious that your schedule or competence is not in the area of the glitches, at least there is a Director of Information Technology who most likely on a normal day would have been sacrificed. This is leadership par excellence in which I once again commend you. You did not even put the blame on the internet service providers. You accept the errors as yours in a manner characteristic of true leaders while you are urgently looking for solutions. Come to think of it, we are talking of mechanical and virtual equipment, who says it cannot malfunction at any time, even at the best of configuration? Come on, why are we this dastardly in our thoughts? Again, can we even rule out the possibility of a sabotage? In addition, I specially thank you for accepting to serve as some of us keep eloping for this very reason that our public service (for those genuinely in it) has become a thankless job and a menace. I blame not so much the public that denies people of your ilk the accolade you deserve; it is the handiwork of the majority of the public office holders that has, in contemporary times, tainted the service by corruption and other abusive vices. Whenever I see some of your likes that are exceptional, using our street jargon, ‘I lick’ them. Genuine public service is now a rarity in the country. Public service is now construed as a short cut to wealth, and justifiably so. As I used to tell those who sermonize to me to return to public service, assumption of public office now attracts the stigma and appellation of a thief. Why would anyone now want to engage at that level and in such environment? This is aside the declaration of such genuine people as politically exposed persons, thus limiting their international economic growth, as they suddenly become ‘no touch’ to institutions abroad. Those who cherish their reputation and image therefore will continuously run away. Consequently, where we find such exceptional people in public service, we must hail them rather than deride them. They are sacrificing so much, as reputation is the most important asset of a man. I have known Prof Ishaq Oloyede formally since my University days. Prior to then, we had been disciples in the association that connected all of us. I was also privileged to have been taught Islamic Law as one of the optional courses during my undergraduate days by him. Since then andtill date, our ways have continuously crossed. I therefore stand in a vantage position to attest not only to his character, sense of purpose and competence in whatever role he assumes. He certainly will not undertake or accept responsibility that he cannot diligently and efficiently discharge. It is in this connection that I salute your courage, passion, dedication and sense of patriotism. You are truly a man of conscience as you could have easily covered the errors and insists on the failure. I am proud of you sir.