Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has bemoaned the technical glitches that marred the just concluded Joint Admission and Matriculation Board in the just-concluded UTME examinations. He mentioned that this signify part of an overall systemic crisis bedeviling Nigeria.
On Thursday, Mr Obi said, “There must be no room for further glitches—not in JAMB, not in any arm of government
“The cost of repeated failure is simply too high and raises a very concerning issue on glitches and the grave havoc it’s creating in our country, even in critical institutions like JAMB.”
The JAMB registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, during a press conference on Wednesday, broke into tears while admitting technical glitches affected about 379,997 candidates who sat for the just-concluded examinations.
Mr Oloyede also mentioned that the examination body has concluded plans to reschedule the affected candidates to rewrite the examination.
Mr Obi praised Mr Oloyede for admitting there was an error. He noted that the registrar’s open admission and show of remorse are a rare but commendable acts of accountability in Nigeria’s public institutions.
Mr. Obi further expressed, “While JAMB’s swift response and willingness to own up to its shortcomings are worthy of recognition, the incident has brought to light a far more troubling reality: the persistent fragility of our institutional systems.
“The emotional and psychological toll on students, and even parents, some of whom have reportedly suffered severe trauma, and in heartbreaking cases, even death, serves as a reminder of what is at stake. The integrity of examination processes and the reliability of public institutions are not optional; they are foundational to any nation’s progress.”
The ex governor of Anambra equally pointed the need for JAMB and other public institutions in Nigeria to adopt quality assurance frameworks to enable effective operations and restore public confidence within the citizenry.
“Going forward, JAMB and similar critical bodies must adopt comprehensive quality assurance frameworks. This includes rigorous testing and constant auditing of technical infrastructure,” said the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party. “Moreover, transparent communication with candidates and stakeholders, coupled with the prompt resolution of arising issues, is essential to restoring public confidence.”
