Amid loud calls for his resignation, the Muslim Rights Concern has told the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, to ignore those making such a demand.
NATIONAL POST recalls that apart from the South-East caucus of the House of Representatives, several other organisations have also urged the Registrar to step aside.
However, in its reaction via a statement on Friday, MURIC, an Islamic organisation, described the resignation calls as callous, ridiculous and unpatriotic.
The statement was signed by its Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
According to him, “The South East caucus of the House of Representatives this week called for the resignation of the embattled registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) over the examination glitches which occurred during the 2025 examinations in some parts of the country.
“A similar move was made by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) branch which also threatened to sue JAMB yesterday.
“MURIC finds these calls callous, ridiculous and unpatriotic. It is also parochial, myopic and condescending. It smirks of ethnic buccaneering and suffers from intellectual poverty. The idea is a willing partner in the desertification of analytical, critical and objective thinking. Our lawmakers and academics should rise above articulated tribal jingoism.
“Why does the South East desire to kill the goose that lays the golden egg? It is on record that Nigeria, particularly JAMB, has never had it so good. For whereas JAMB had been a consuming and wasteful institution in the pre-Oloyede days, the incumbent has turned the institution round, refunding billions to the coffers of the Federal Government (FG) on an annual basis since he took over.”
While hailing Oloyede for raking in billions of Naira for the government through JAMB, he said the Registrar should rather be applauded than vilified.
“Exempli gratia, it remitted N3.51 billion in 2021 and N6 billion to FG in 2024. Yet in contrast, the cumulative amount refunded by JAMB over forty years before the emergence of Oloyede was a paltry N52 million.
“Things got to an astounding climax this year that Oloyede told FG that JAMB under him does not require any allocation as its internally generated revenue (IGR) was enough for its functions.
“Is this the man the South East caucus of the House of Representatives wants to resign? Is this how we should treat our heroes? How many government agencies have returned money to the government in this manner?
“Why should our lawmakers seek to destroy a performer primus inter pareil? We contend that this is an attempt to demonise transparency while idolising corruption. They want to sacrifice excellence on the altar of mediocrity. Who did this to Nigeria?” He queried.
He also described similar calls by the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) of one of the South Eastern universities as least expected.
According to MURIC, “The rantings of institutionalised kleptomaniacs, political shenanigans, academic charlatans and ethnic demagogues are not worth being glorified with any attention. The call for Oloyede’s resignation is most unpatriotic. Nigeria: Nigerian fashion
“Our message to Oloyede is this, ‘Strive on in the glorious path which you have chosen. Ignore detractors, the envious and sworn enemies. Their desire is to rubbish you in order to justify their waywardness.
“They wish to make you regret your honesty. They are on a campaign for the recruitment of thieves like them from the infinitesimally small group of saints.
“Continue your good work. Resignation will send the wrong signal to good Nigerians who consider you their model. Aluta continua, Victoria ascerta.”
NATIONAL POST reports that presently, the results of the resit examination for those affected by technical glitch as announced by JAMB are still being awaited.
The Board had earlier hinted that it would be released Wednesday, but that is yet to happen.