By Ismail Auwal
The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has bemoaned the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) ongoing strike, saying that it is destroying university education in Nigeria.
He said the nation is no longer under a military rule and that a paradigm shift is necessary to move away from the past.
Speaking at the grand finale of the 2022 Independence Day Essay competition organised by the Osun State Government in Osogbo, Oloyede, who was represented by JAMB’s Director of Legal Services, Abdulwahab Oyedokun, said stakeholders must find a way for a workable education within the available legal framework.
“Osun State is a state of pride. We have a history, Ife is the origin of Yoruba. We have culture Osogbo is centre of culture. We have education great Ife (OAU), is here, Osun State University is coming. Unfortunately, for ASUU, we are destroying Ife ‘OAU’ with this incessant strike.
“I know as a matter of fact that about 20 years ago, more than 40 per cent of students make OAU their first choice University, but today OAU is not 1 to 10 in terms of several applications,” he said.
Continuing, he said “We commend Osun State government for this initiative for this wonderful initiative this is taking place in a society where others are prioritising things that are of no benefits, that will bring no future to the children.
“We, at the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, are working towards building a better successor generation for Nigeria and the only way to do that is to guarantee the integrity of our examination process.”
Also speaking, the Commissioner For Regional Integration and Special Duties, Mr Olalekan Badmus said that the state government moved to celebrate Nigeria’s Independence Day Anniversary from the mere march past by students to a healthy competition in 2020.
