Parents Behind Most Examination Malpractice, Says Former JAMB Registrar Oloyede

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has blamed parents for the growing incidence of examination malpractice in Nigeria. He described their role in the practice as the most painful experience of his 10-year tenure at the examination body.

Oloyede made the remarks on Sunday during a THISDAY programme aired on Arise Television, days after he handed over the leadership of JAMB to Prof. Segun Aina.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Aina, a professor of computer engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, in May to succeed Oloyede as the sixth registrar of JAMB. Oloyede assumed office on August 9, 2016, under former President Muhammadu Buhari. He later secured a second term in August 2021 before leaving office last week.

Reflecting on his years at the board, Oloyede said he was deeply troubled whenever he discovered that parents were arranging examination malpractice for their children and wards.

“The most painful period of my experience in JAMB has to do with the level of involvement of parents in the organisation of examination malpractice,” he said.

“They are introducing their wards and children to the world of crime. I think most of the candidates are not problematic. They are not the problem. The problem is the parents.

“Every time I was confronted with the reality of what parents are doing, most of the time, I became very emotional about it.

“Most of the time, I feel that how on earth will people hate themselves and their futures to this level. Even if you have deficiency, you won’t want to pass the deficiency to the next generation.”

“For me, it was a fine period (referring to his administration in JAMB. The only lowest period was when I confronted parents over involvement in the planning and introduction of their children and wards into crime (examination malpractice).”

Oloyede also expressed confidence in his successor. He said Aina’s background in computer engineering would help JAMB make greater use of technology in the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).