Oloyede’s Honest UTME Admission Sets New Integrity Standard in Public Service—Olagunju

At a time when many public officeholders shy away from admitting faults, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Ishaq Oloyede, has shown rare bravery by publicly acknowledging serious mistakes in conducting the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Prof Oloyede, while delivering an emotional and tearful address, admitted that significant errors had occurred during the result processing stage, negatively impacting thousands of students. “I take full responsibility for the oversight,” he said, deeply affected by the incident. “We are committed to rectifying the situation and ensuring that all affected candidates are treated fairly.”

His bold and unusual public confession has been met with admiration from various individuals, including Dr Kayode Olagunju, a former Deputy Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), who compared Prof Oloyede’s integrity to a similar brave act by his former superior, Osita Chidoka, while he led the FRSC.

“Not everyone possesses the courage to publicly admit their mistakes,” Dr Olagunju remarked in a reflective statement. “Many will rather blame others or try to explain away the situation. Prof Oloyede’s decision to take full responsibility, even to the point of tears, is commendable.”

He shared a 2013 experience when he found major inconsistencies in the FRSC’s crash statistics covering three years. Despite immense internal pressure to keep the incorrect figures, Chidoka decided to fix the data and apologize publicly, choosing integrity over image.

“There is no going back,” Chidoka had said during that time. “Data credibility is key, and we discovered there were mistakes. We should be able to accept the errors and correct them.”

Drawing a connection between the two events, Dr Olagunju highlighted how vital it is to be accountable in public service. “The courage to admit and correct mistakes, especially in such high-stakes scenarios, is a mark of true leadership. Prof Oloyede has set a high standard for others to emulate.”

As JAMB begins efforts to resolve the issues and assist the affected candidates, many are praising Prof Oloyede’s openness as a defining development in the country’s educational leadership. “God bless you, Prof,” Dr Olagunju concluded. “That is the way to go — honour, integrity, and courage, even when it draws tears.”