By Lukman Olabiyi
Amid the controversy that has trailed the recent technical issues that affected the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof Yusuf Alia, has defended the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede.
Prof Ali described Oloyede as an uncommon person, whose track record of integrity, transparency and selflessness stand untainted despite the recent challenges faced by the examination body.
Ali, who said he has a close personal relationship with Oloyede spanning nearly 50 years, acknowledged the glitches that disrupted the examination in some centres in the South East and Lagos, affecting around 300,000 candidates out of the over 1.9 million who sat for the UTME. However, he commended the JAMB boss for responding with rare candour and accountability.
“In a system, where public officials often act with impunity, Oloyede has chosen the path of responsibility, empathy and transparency. Rather than ignore the problems, he has acknowledged the lapses and taken steps to rectify them, including the decision to conduct a fresh examination for the affected candidates,” Ali stated
Ali further attested to the registrar’s unwavering commitment to excellence, recounting his rigorous preparations ahead of each UTME, including personal visits to JAMB offices nationwide often at odd hours.
He dismissed calls for Oloyede’s resignation, asserting that abandoning his post during a crisis would contradict the essence of true leadership.
“Good leadership is not about taking flight when issues arise. It is about standing firm and resolving them,” he said.
The senior advocate emphasised that this incident should not overshadow Oloyede’s stellar record in public service, including his transformative tenure at the University of Ilorin and other national assignments.
“As someone who has served the nation with distinction, I am confident that Oloyede’s leadership at JAMB will continue to uphold the highest standards of accountability and excellence,” Ali concluded.