Outgoing JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, says he is leaving public service with one major mission — to seek God’s forgiveness.
Speaking as he handed over to the new JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, Oloyede said 10 years in government had taken a heavy toll on both his career and spiritual life, and he now wants to return to the classroom and focus on his faith.
“But for me, what’s next is back to my class and my religious activities,” he said.
The former University of Ilorin Vice-Chancellor admitted that public office often forces leaders into difficult decisions.
“You cannot serve in these past 10 years without losing one spiritual quality or the other,” he said. “I need some time to go and beg God for what was done. You have to accept responsibility.”
Oloyede praised JAMB staff for the reforms achieved during his tenure, saying the board’s successes were the result of teamwork, and expressed confidence that his successor would take the agency “to greater heights.”
He also stood firmly by one of the biggest controversies of his administration — the punishment of former UTME candidate Mmesoma Ejikeme.
The case sparked national outrage in 2023 after Mmesoma claimed she scored 362 in the UTME, while JAMB insisted her genuine score was 249 and accused her of presenting a forged result slip. Investigations later backed JAMB’s position.
Oloyede said he had no regrets over the board’s decision, insisting it was necessary to protect the credibility of the examination system.
Calling Mmesoma “our daughter,” he said JAMB acted like a parent correcting a child rather than out of spite.
“If there is any regret, it is that she did what she did. We did what we should do,” he said.
He noted that many Nigerians initially believed the student’s claims but changed their minds after the facts emerged.
“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 added.
Defending the three-year ban imposed on Mmesoma, Oloyede said it was meant to discourage examination malpractice, not to victimise her.
“It’s not out of wickedness, but to serve as a deterrent. We acted because the office required it. So, no regrets.”
In his acceptance speech, the new JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, vowed to preserve the board’s reputation for transparency and warned that exam cheats would continue to face technology-driven crackdowns.
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