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It seems that the interest of the government of the United States of America (USA) in Nigeria, especially with the condemnation of Christian genocide in the country, created a window for the joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to escape public condemnation over its self-embarrassing and self-indicting action of staging a walk-out on the House of Representatives, on November 4.
Recall that the House Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies had invited JAMB to an investigative public hearing to examine the boards 2023-2024 budget performance as well as the implementation of the budget, remittances to the federation account and its bank statements. Statutorily, that was part of the constitutional mandate of the House as provided for at Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution. Rather than honour the invitation in person as was requested of him, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, snubbed the House. He refused to show up in person. Rather, he sent a representative, Mr. Mufta Bello, who is a director at the board. No reason was given for Prof. Oloyede’s snub.
Oloyede’s representative, however, caused a stir when he was asked to introduce himself and members of his team. Rather than do so, he requested that JAMB would prefer a closed-door meeting with the House of Representatives. He also said that he did not want journalists to be part of the public hearing. Reminded that it was a public hearing, Oloyede’s mouthpiece insisted that he had very sensitive information, some of which may not be good for the Minister for Education’s image, which he would not like to disclose publicly. But the invitation was to appear at a public hearing not a ‘private hearing.’ Afterwards, he ordered his team to walk out on the House of Representatives.
Oloyede’s action as executed by his representative, Mr. Bello, speaks volumes about the opaque nature of JAMB operations. It says that something shadowy is unfolding at JAMB especially with the linkage to the Minister of Education. The question is: what exactly is Oloyede’s JAMB hiding from Nigerians that it cannot address them through their representatives at a public hearing? Why is Oloyede’s JAMB scared of journalists –the same journalists it issues synchronized press statements regularly and also takes along to observe its carefully choreographed Computer Based Tests? What is there in the bank statements of JAMB that will make Nigeria bleed if discovered? Can there be any discovery in JAMB’s books that will be anything else but corruption? So, why is Oloyede scarred of public scrutiny of JAMB’s budgets and bank statements?
The image of JAMB had taken a dive after an official of the Board told investigators that snake swallowed N36 million in cash. Though that was during Oloyede’s predecessor, but the incident highlighted the level of sleaze at the board and epitomized the absurdity of JAMB’s accountability deficits. That tale ridiculed Nigeria and irreparably damaged JAMB’s image. However, though Oloyede had attempted to patch-up the leaks by remittances to the federal coffers from examinations form sales, corruption questions at the Board still reflect a broader pattern where JAMB’s internally generated revenue, which is estimated at over N10 billion annually, is alleged to fuel elite enrichment rather than system upgrades. The need for such upgrades became apparent in the embarrassing handling of UTME examination in 2025 where JAMB orchestrated a systematic failure of its candidates from southeast, mostly. It suggests that the Oloyede era was not immune to the very nauseating maladies that it purported to cure.
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However, corruption allegations against JAMB in 2025 crystallised around whistleblower testimonies and prosecutorial actions. They exposed a web of financial infractions and ethical lapses. Central to this narrative is Mr. Yisa Usman, a sacked deputy director whose legal battle against the board became a flashpoint for revelations. In January 2025, during cross-examination at the National Industrial Court in Abuja, Usman vowed to “expose corruption in the board irrespective of the threat and intimidation against him.” He petitioned multiple agencies including the Attorney-General’s office, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of State Services (DSS), National Assembly, Minister of Education, Head of Service, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), alleging procurement irregularities, harassment, victimization, and financial mismanagement under Oloyede’s leadership.
Usman’s claims implicated high-level decisions, including contested financial audits that he alleged were manipulated to shield culprits. Dismissing his involvement in any infractions, Usman said his petitions targeted Oloyede directly for “corrupt practices… perpetrated under the cover of remittances made to the government.” His petitions and challenge also ignited public debate on JAMB’s integrity, an integrity that has come under serious question. Following that, groups like the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) rose in Oloyede’s defence and countered that Usman’s allegations were baseless and orchestrated to undermine Oloyede and his welfare initiatives at JAMB. They cited clearances from the ICPC, Bureau of Public Procurement, and the Office of the Vice-President, to support. However, in October 2025, Oloyede himself acknowledged the rot, disclosing at a NASU National Executive Council meeting that “more than 10 staff members are currently facing prosecution over allegations of corruption.”
Though he emphasised his leadership’s zero-tolerance policy against corruption stating that “we reward dedication but deal decisively with misconduct,” the admission, while laudable, exposed a paradox —that though the JAMB leadership preaches accountability, it leads a workforce that is riddled with graft. This is further affirmed by the confession by the Board that its officials collude with, and aid, candidates in forging admission letters for the National Youth Service mobilization. This scam cannot but be a multi-million naira venture at JAMB.
Perhaps, these are part of reasons the House of Representatives wanted to have a peep into JAMB’s books which Oloyede cleverly truncated by sending a director who had the least regard for the House and Nigerians. His action at the botched public hearing was one that says ‘to hell with you; who are you to investigate us.’ The walk-out stands as a brazen emblem of institutional impunity. It underscored the board’s disdain for oversight. Still, Oloyede’s JAMB is answerable to the National Assembly and as a public institution, cannot operate a deeply opaque system that hides the true state of its finances from the people of Nigeria. Otherwise, the Board would be telling Nigerians that it works with a different operational system called impunity.
With JAMB’s show at the public hearing on November 4, it now seems expedient to reform the examination body and institute a legal framework for independent audit of the Board by government appointed auditors and put in place whistleblowers protections as well as prosecute retaliations. Finally, it seems that Nigeria’s population has grown beyond having a single university entrance examination body. Perhaps it is time to decentralise university exams regionally to mitigate glitches like JAMB shamelessly embarrassed Nigerian with recently, and save elderly men from shading crocodile tears.
