‘Scrap JAMB Exams’, OPM Overseer Urges Federal Government, Queries 6:30am UTME Schedule

The Founder and General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries (OPM), Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere, has called on the Federal Government to scrap the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) being organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), describing examination process as burdensome and outdated.

Apostle Chinyere made the call on Sunday during a sermon at the church’s international headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he questioned the continued relevance of the UTME.

According to him, the existence of multiple admission screening layers has made the system unnecessarily stressful for students.

“In Nigeria, you will write WAEC; after WAEC, you will write JAMB; after JAMB, you will write post-UTME; then you wait for the school cut-off mark and departmental cut-off mark. If you don’t meet it, you wait another year, register for JAMB again, and start afresh. It is very frustrating,” he said.

The cleric argued that JAMB has outlived its purpose, noting that tertiary institutions still conduct separate screening exercises for candidates after the mandatory UTME.

“JAMB has lost its relevance because universities still organise their own entrance examinations after UTME,” he added.

He also raised concerns over the Board’s early examination schedule, particularly the 6:30 a.m. sittings, which he said exposed candidates to security risks and financial strain.

“Sometimes I wonder why JAMB fixes exams for 6:30 a.m. Do you know that for all my adopted children under OPM scholarships going for JAMB, I have to give them extra money to pay for hotels?” he queried.

Apostle Chinyere explained that many candidates were forced to travel long distances and lodge near their examination centres to meet the early schedule, increasing the financial burden on parents and sponsors.

“They cannot travel safely that early, so they have to stay overnight in hotels close to their centres. This creates additional financial pressure,” he said.

He further criticised JAMB for posting candidates to centres far from their residences, insisting that such arrangements heightened risks in the current security climate.

“JAMB is always posting them to centres very far away from where they live. What should have been done is to post them to centres close to their homes,” he stated.

Citing security concerns, the OPM founder referenced reports of the recent abduction of UTME candidates in Benue State, describing the situation as “very unfortunate.”

“I saw something on social media that 12 people who went to write JAMB in Benue State were kidnapped. It is really very unfortunate,” he said.

Drawing comparisons with admission systems abroad, Apostle Chinyere said several countries have adopted more flexible and student-friendly processes that do not rely on a single high-stakes examination.

“If you want to get admission into universities outside Nigeria, you don’t need JAMB. You apply to the university, they send you an unconditional letter of offer, and when fees are paid, a conditional offer follows after verification of results. They won’t ask you to write JAMB,” he explained.

He warned that the current system could worsen the number of out-of-school youths, as repeated admission setbacks discourage prospective students.

The cleric noted that OPM has sponsored underprivileged Nigerians on scholarships both locally and internationally for over 15 years, stressing the need for reforms that make access to higher education more inclusive.