By Prosper Mene
Former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has publicly criticized the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Federal Ministry of Education for their handling of a technical glitch that disrupted the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results, affecting nearly 380,000 candidates across 157 examination centers. The incident has caused widespread outrage, with stakeholders demanding greater transparency and systemic reform.
In a series of posts on X on May 15, 2025, Ezekwesili described the situation as a “classic fiasco,” quoting physicist Stephen Hawking: “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.” She questioned why JAMB and the Ministry of Education failed to conduct a prompt and unbiased system check when unusual trends in the results were first reported, particularly in the five South-East states and Lagos, where the glitch was most pronounced. “The Ministry of Education and JAMB were embarrassingly anecdotal in their pejorative non-evidence-based explanation of the significantly unusual results,” she stated, highlighting a lack of professionalism in addressing the issue.
The controversy intensified after JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, admitted during an emotional press conference on May 14, 2025, that errors by one of JAMB’s service providers had distorted results, forcing affected candidates to retake the exam between May 16 and 19. Ezekwesili criticized the short notice given to candidates for the resit, noting a message from a distressed candidate who claimed JAMB provided insufficient preparation time. “Could JAMB please reconsider this rush to do a reset? What just happened requires thoughtful next steps,” she urged.
Referencing her past critiques, Ezekwesili shared screenshots of her 2018 and 2023 tweets, including one where she called for a former Minister of Education to be reassigned to an airport toll gate for prioritizing revenue over systemic integrity. She also revisited the 2023 Mmesoma Ejikeme controversy, where she had advocated for an independent tech investigation into allegations of result forgery, a call she reiterated for the current crisis.
The fallout from the glitch has been severe, with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) linking the death of Miss Timilehin Faith Opesusi, who reportedly took her life after scoring 190, to the psychological toll of the flawed results. NANS demanded Oloyede’s resignation and compensation for affected families. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has launched an investigation into the glitch, and Lagos-based lawyer Evans Ufeli has filed a N10 billion lawsuit against JAMB, citing violations of candidates’ rights.
Public sentiment on social media reflects growing frustration, with users like @olorunwababs on X
calling JAMB’s response a “national shame” and criticizing the board’s casual dismissal of responsibility. Despite some praise for Oloyede’s accountability, stakeholders, including Peter Obi and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), have warned of deeper systemic issues in Nigeria’s examination systems.
Ezekwesili’s outspoken critique has heightened calls for a thorough audit of JAMB’s systems and greater investment in robust, transparent infrastructure to restore public trust. As candidates begin the rescheduled exams, the nation watches closely, hoping for justice and lasting reforms to prevent future failures.
