The South-East Senate Caucus has expressed grave concern over what it termed a “curious and highly suspicious” glitch during the recent JAMB examination, particularly in Lagos and the entire South-East region.
The caucus attributes the issue to the injection of “hateful politics and narrow parochial considerations” in both policy formulation and implementation.
In a statement released on Saturday in Abuja, the caucus chairman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South), described the incident as deeply troubling.
He cautioned against entertaining conspiracy theories but noted the possibility of a deliberate agenda to disadvantage students from the South-East.
“It would be disheartening and we hope not to contemplate such conspiracy theory that there is a narrow agenda being pursued to deliberately shortchange and harm the future of our children,” Abaribe stated.
After assessing the situation, the caucus acknowledged efforts to address the issue, including the rescheduling of the disrupted exams. They also welcomed the prompt admission of fault by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), particularly the public apology from the registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede.
Despite the apology, Abaribe warned against masking any future sinister intentions that could harm the educational prospects of South-East students.
“The so-called glitch, as curious and suspicious as it was, is enough to erode confidence and dangerously lower national pride among the future generation,” Abaribe said.
The caucus demanded clear answers from JAMB regarding the glitch, which affected the entire South-East region. They insisted that the incident must be thoroughly investigated to restore confidence among the affected students and parents.
“That the glitch happened in the whole of South-East raises pertinent questions that must be answered by JAMB to assuage the growing frustrations and fears among the people of the region, particularly the children who are directly at the receiving end,” Abaribe asserted.
He stressed the importance of keeping politics out of education, noting that tampering with educational fairness could jeopardize national unity.
“Education remains one of the most important bedrocks of any society’s advancement. It is one major index of development in every facet of life that can never be faulted. Education is a major pivot that triggers national development. Every child is entitled to it; therefore, we must not play roulette with it.”
The South-East Senate Caucus remains vigilant and has demanded a concrete assurance from JAMB and relevant education authorities that such a glitch will not recur.
“The South East Senate Caucus is alert and under pressure as it unequivocally demands firm assurance from JAMB and other relevant national educational policy drivers that there will never be a recurrence of such a scandalous glitch in the future,” Abaribe concluded.
