Reps Apologise Over Mass UTME Failure, Demand Independent Probe

The House of Representatives has apologised to Nigerians over mass failure recorded in the recent Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The chairman, House Committee on Basic Education Examination Bodies, Hon. Oforji Oboku tendered the apology when he led members of the panel to a world press conference at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, on Tuesday.

Oboku called for an independent and thorough investigation into the matter, saying the committee had been making suggestions for reforms to set a high standard in expertise, in collaboration with JAMB across the six geopolitical zones and to monitor the examination to avoid similar occurrences in the future.

The committee chairman expressed the committee’s deep sympathy for the candidates affected by the errors experienced during the examination and apologised on behalf of JAMB to all Nigerians.

“We are all aware of the unfortunate situation that our children faced during the UTME/JAMB exams, a situation that has never occurred before in the history of JAMB. The Committee in the House of Representatives responsible for overseeing examination bodies, including JAMB, expresses its deep sympathy for the candidates affected by the errors experienced during the examination.

“We sincerely apologise on behalf of the examination body (JAMB) to all Nigerians. The committee recognises the courage and sincerity of the JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, for accepting the fault on behalf of his team and apologising to the parents, candidates, and the nation in general,” Oboku said.

The lawmakers however noted that the human errors were avoidable, attributing the incident to negligence by JAMB.

“I would like to state unequivocally that the members of the National Assembly share these concerns and extend their apologies to the Nigerian public.

“We also call for an independent and thorough investigation into the matter.

“The committee has been making suggestion for reforms to set a high standard in expertise in collaboration with JAMB across the six geopolitical zones, to monitor this very important examination to avoid similar occurrences in the future.

“The movement toward accountability is not in the future; it is now. The government and the country’s educational system, which is a cornerstone of our future, can not withstand another scandal,” Oboku added.