Why Dibu Ojerinde Lost His JAMB Seat — What Happened Before His Removal

Fresh details have continued to emerge on the circumstances surrounding the removal of Professor Dibu Ojerinde as Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), a development that came amid mounting concerns over the conduct of the 2016 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Ojerinde’s exit generated considerable interest because it occurred before the expiration of his tenure, which was expected to run until April 2017.

His removal was announced alongside that of 16 other chief executive officers of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education who were appointed during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Although the Federal Government did not publicly disclose specific reasons for Ojerinde’s removal, the decision came at a period when JAMB was facing criticism over challenges associated with the 2016 UTME.

The examination, which was conducted largely through computer-based testing, attracted complaints from candidates and other stakeholders over issues including alleged multiple results, relocation of examination centres and technical or system-related failures.

Some candidates reportedly expressed concerns that the difficulties encountered during the exercise could negatively affect their chances of securing admission into tertiary institutions for the 2016/2017 academic session.

The controversies also renewed questions about JAMB’s preparedness to conduct a large-scale computer-based examination, particularly as the board had introduced the system several years earlier as part of efforts to modernise the UTME process.

Against this backdrop, some observers have linked Ojerinde’s removal to the problems surrounding the 2016 UTME.

However, such claims remain a matter of interpretation, as the Federal Government did not, in its official announcement, identify the examination controversies as the reason for terminating his tenure.

Ojerinde had taken over as JAMB Registrar in 2011 and remained in the position until his removal by the Federal Government. His departure therefore came several months before the scheduled end of his tenure.

In the statement announcing the changes, the Deputy Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Education, Benjamin Bem Goong, confirmed the removal of Ojerinde and the other chief executive officers.