2025 UTME: JAMB glitch erodes national pride, South-East Senators declare

The South East Senators have declared as unacceptable the recent JAMB examination glitch that occurred in some centres in Lagos and across the entire South East, saying it erodes national pride.

The caucus, in a statement issued over the weekend by its Chairman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, acknowledged what it described as “the timely acceptance of fault as expressed through the open declaration of regrets and tearful apology by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) management, particularly its Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede.”

While the caucus expressed hesitation in fully accepting the narrative that there is a “narrow agenda being pursued to deliberately shortchange and harm the future of our children,” it warned that a recurrence of such an incident would not be tolerated.

It emphasized that the glitch had the potential to jeopardize the educational advancement of children in the South East region.

The statement read in part, “The so-called glitch—as curious and suspicious as it may be—is enough to erode confidence and dangerously lower national pride among the future generation.

“Relevant national education authorities must recognize the inherent danger of injecting hateful politics and narrow parochial considerations into both policy formulation and implementation.

“The fact that the glitch occurred across the entire South East raises pertinent questions that must be answered by JAMB to address the growing frustrations and fears among the people of the region, especially the children who are directly affected. We must pursue a Nigerian agenda, not a narrow one that could ultimately threaten national unity.”

“Education remains one of the most important foundations for societal advancement. It is a major indicator of development in every aspect of life. Education is a key driver of national progress, and every child is entitled to it. Therefore, we must not play roulette with it.”

The South East Senate Caucus further demanded firm assurances from JAMB and other relevant national education authorities that such a “scandalous glitch” will never occur again in the future.