OPEN LETTER TO:
The Federal Government of Nigeria, All State Governors, The National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives), Federal Ministry of Education, and All Stakeholders in the Nigerian Educational Sector.
I am a deeply concerned citizen and stakeholder in the Nigerian educational system, and I feel compelled to speak out against the recent announcement by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) regarding the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
JAMB, through its Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, openly admitted that technical errors and negligence, originating from within the board, seriously affected the conduct and results of the examination. Yet, instead of addressing this failure equitably and transparently, the board announced that only candidates from 65 centres in Lagos and 92 centres in the South-East (Owerri Zone) will be made to retake the exam.
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This decision is fundamentally flawed and highly questionable for several reasons:
1. If the issue was truly a technical glitch, then it should have affected all regions that used the same system.
2. Does JAMB employ different service providers for different regions? If so, this must be clearly explained to Nigerians.
3. What is the evidence that only Lagos and South-East centres were affected? Where is the independent, verifiable report that supports such a claim?
I fully acknowledge that in every exam, some students are bound to fail. That is not the issue. The issue here is that JAMB has admitted it failed in its duty, and yet chose to selectively punish certain regions without sound justification. This is not only unjust, it is dangerous.
This act reeks of regional bias and discrimination, and it has the potential to incite serious unrest and distrust among the youth and citizens of this country. No apology can erase the trauma, suspicion, and sense of injustice this decision has created.
Therefore, I strongly condemn the actions of JAMB and make the following demands:
1. The entire 2025 UTME must be cancelled and rescheduled nationwide to ensure fairness and restore confidence.
2. An open and transparent investigation into the so-called technical glitches must be conducted, and the findings made public.
3. The resignation or removal of Prof. Ishaq Oloyede as JAMBRegistrar is necessary, as he has demonstrated gross incompetence and failure to lead.
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4. Stakeholders including education experts, student bodies, and the National Assembly must be fully involved in monitoring and reforming JAMB processes.
This is no longer just an educational issue, it is a national concern. The future of thousands of students is at stake, and so is the integrity of our nation’s educational system.
I respectfully urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Honorable Minister of Education, all State Governors, and the National Assembly to act swiftly and decisively. JAMB must not be allowed to jeopardize the future of Nigerian youth and set dangerous precedents that could damage national unity.
Justice, fairness, and transparency must prevail, across all regions.
Sincerely,
~Muhd Sani Abdullahi, PhD…
Concerned Nigerian Citizen
