By Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja

One of the milestones in my public service career was when, in the year 2021, I was conferred with the prize of Gani Fawehinmi Award for Person with Integrity in Public Office.

Ford Foundation funded the said annual awards while it is administered by the Human Development and Environment Agenda (HEDA).

The award was in respect of my public service as chairman of a certain federal government agency.

Some years ago, I was the Chairman of the governing Board of a certain federal government agency.

In my role as supervisor, I received a petition of financial embezzlement by the CEO/Chief Executive Officer of the said federal government agency.

In the spirit of fair hearing, I invited both the petitioner and the said CEO to my office.

When confronted with the documents and evidence of his financial embezzlement, the CEO broke down in sweat (inside a chilling air-conditioned office), the CEO confessed to his involvement in the financial embezzlement of the said public funds.

He begged me on how we could handle the matter. I told him point-blank that in accordance with the law, he is supposed to resign.

The CEO was not happy with my response, so he went to the then supervising Minister and after the “brown envelope”, the Minister gave him the necessary backing to “stay put” in office!!! Instead of complying with the provisions of the relevant laws, such as the Code of Conduct Act, 1991 and the ICPC Act, 2000, which recommends dismissal and even prosecution of the said CEO, I became an object of the target practice by the said Minister.

He ordered the police to harass me. The investigating police officers told me point-blank that they had “orders from above” (backed up by cash) to deal with me. But after meeting me face-to-face, interrogation and seeing all the documents that I provided, they found nothing wrong that I had done. To the contrary, it is the CEO that ought to be in police custody. They told me that they would “chop” the money that they were given to harass me, and nothing would happen!!!

Next, the said Minister recruited some officials of the Department of State Services (DSS).

I was invited to their headquarters based on the instructions of the said Minister.

Based on the stories that I had previously heard about the DSS and the reputation and propensity of the said Minister for vindictiveness, I had the apprehension that the DSS would “deal with me” as instructed by the said Minister (who had previously dealt with a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN).

So, before I left home on the day of honouring the DSS invitation, my wife and I said a prayer, we hugged and kissed as I believed that that would be the last time I would be seeing my family.

I took along my international passport and all the documents relating to my public service in the said federal government agency.

Contrary to my fears, the senior DSS official, after an hour of interrogation and looking through all the documents, asked me to go home. You have done nothing wrong but speak out against an obvious act of financial embezzlement that came to your notice.

That was my first time of having a first hand experience of the professional manner in which majority of the officials of the DSS conduct their operations!!!

The next incident, which is more recent, was when the Director of the National Assembly Command of the DSS invited me in my capacity as the Executive Secretary of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners- ALDRAP.

The said Association-ALDRAP had filed a LAWSUIT against the Senate President, the Speaker and the Clerk to the National Assembly to prevent them from enacting a Bill for legislation to extend the age of retirement of the Clerk to the National Assembly from 60 to 65 years. The lawsuit was filed at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria to challenge the said Bill as it was in conflict with the National Assembly Pensions Board Act, 2023, which stipulates 60 years as the age of retirement for all staff of the National Assembly.

Once again, I went with all the relevant documentation and after one hour of interrogation, the Director of the DSS told me that the Clerk to the then National Assembly who had previously instigated the said petition against our Association-ALDRAP was economical with the truth by not disclosing that there was already a legislation on this same subject-matter.

True to his words, the DSS official went to the President with the new information, and on that basis, the President refused to assent to the Bill.

There are many other details from that conversation that I cannot repeat here because of National Security implications!!!

Again, the DSS acted with utmost professionalism in this second instance.

And I was amazed at the amount of Intel that the DSS holds on each of the principal officials of the National Assembly.

Let’s just say that if it were the FBI or CIA that held that amount of information, “heads would roll”!!!

So the recent LAWSUIT that the DSS has filed against Prof. Pat Utomi’s Shadow Government comes as no surprise to me.

It is evidence of their professionalism instead of arresting him.

Below is the newspaper report:

“The Department of State Services has dragged a former presidential candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over his recently formation of a shadow government.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/937/2025, the DSS named Utomi, the 2007 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, as the sole defendant, accusing him of attempting to unlawfully usurp the executive powers of President Bola Tinubu.”

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.

By IfeanyiChukwu Afuba 

Did we have mass failure of candidates in the 2025 tertiary institutions’ qualifying examination or a deplorable conduct of the scheme by the JAMB? While it would take time and independent investigation to unravel candidates’ allegation of “wrong result”, the role of JAMB generally, presents another case study in the difficulty of making the Nigerian system work. No, the trouble with Nigeria is not simply a failure of leadership. It goes beyond leadership and indeed beyond political leadership.

The judiciary, the legislature, the civil service, security agencies, health sector workers, universities, to mention only a few sides of public service are as dysfunctional and corrupt as various executive arms of government. What seems more characteristic of Nigeria’s public life is the unwillingness to uphold the common good. Personal, narrow and group interests are brought to override the larger societal interest in many decisions and execution of public programmes.

Added to the vice of privatisation of policies is the near – absence of work ethics. We routinely chant “international best practices” without corresponding commitment to upholding standards. That is why service delivery is mediocre, bumpy and slow. That is why built infrastructures and facilities deteriorate in no time. As will be seen, JAMB’s controversial outing  this year cannot be situated far from this background.

At no other time have we witnessed the barrage of outrage that greeted this year’s entrance exams. While in the last ten years, results for 2020 and  2021 were considered poor, they did not receive the widespread protests nor intensity of criticism trailing the current exercise. JAMB had announced release of the 2025 result on Friday, May 9, with emphasis on the 78 percent below 200 mark score. In 2020, under 200 point score was 79 percent; and climbed to 87 percent the following year 2021. Yet, reactions to those results were not as strong as with this year’s edition. Public response to result of the April 2025 higher institutions’ entry exam was largely dismissive.

Significantly, candidates and or their parents rejected the low scores on their slips as incorrect. They did so with such confidence and resolve that could not be ignored. As at Monday, May 12, 2025, about 8400 candidates had reportedly filled the formal complaint form demanding access to their scripts. Typical of Nigerian government agency, JAMB leadership’s initial attitude to the outcry was playing the ostrich and deflecting the heart of the matter. Reacting after seventy – two hours of public outcry over the doubtful results, the Board’s spokesman appeared on Channels television on Monday, to read the stilted official line of candidates’ errors,  omissions and challenges with digital demands as the issues.

This technical slant featured prominently in a briefing by the Board’s registrar to announce the results on Friday, May 9, 2025. However, as the resolve to take legal steps to compel JAMB to transparently authenticate the disputed results gathered momentum, the Board finally buckled. By Monday afternoon, the JAMB leadership was forced to set aside it’s stereotype of candidate technical inadequacy to pledge a fact – finding review of the examination package.

While we await report of investigation into the doubtful results, it’s necessary to draw attention to other controversial steps by JAMB with the hope that corrective action will be taken going forward. There were problems with the much-advertised mock UTME test. Some candidates were posted outside their chosen States for the exam. Defending the arrangement, JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, told journalists that not all computer-based centres were available for the mock exam. “If centres for mock in Abuja are filled up and there were available centres in Nassarawa State, candidates will be sent there” Vanguard, April 15, 2025 reported.

This still does not absolve the admissions body from the responsibility to place candidates where they registered. JAMB conducts two major exams in a calendar year. What does it do with the considerable time at its disposal? Is it asking too much to say the Board ought to confirm the availability of needed facilities before commencing the sale of registration forms? The crux of the matter is that this oversight, this inconvenient relocation of candidates, repeats every year. Where then is the supposed value of the mock exam as a mirror towards the successful main exam? Conducting hassles – minimal, mock exam which involves a tiny number of candidates, should not continue to be problematic.

Another instance of the Board’s wrong footing is the approved publication for those taking Literature. The novel chosen this year is The Lekki Headmaster by Kabir Alabi Garba. No problem about the literary quality of the work. But the print format of the publication is a big issue. The 63 page book, by standard setting, would run up to 90 pages. The text  however, is in font size ten, instead of the preferred twelve point, making the print – run tiny. Additionally it is rendered in single line spacing with the result that the pages are tight. The compression poses problem of readability, a big challenge in an environment where electricity supply is not often assured.

Exams by their very nature task the mental and attitudinal faculties of students. Saddling candidates with barely legible texts in the context of a very competitive exam is unhealthy. The selection of a visually deficient title as The Lekki Headmaster reflects poorly on JAMB. The decision calls into question the  judgment that approved a publication with  potential of unduly tasking candidates. Why didn’t JAMB insist on stress – free, readable specifications for the adopted texts? What was the Board doing all year round that it could not find a suitable, eyes – friendly publication? The impression that follows this scenario is that of a conscious attempt to cut costs. Unfortunately, this would be at the expense of some candidates’ performance. Any situation that tends to put the candidate at disadvantage should be avoided.

JAMB also got it wrong on the timeline for commencement of the exam. The slip admitting candidates for the exam clearly stated that they were to report at the various centres by 6:30am. The Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, was therefore right in his indictful intervention on the matter. Obi’s faulting of the time schedule was justified. An official indication that a “compulsory” public event will kick off by 6:30am is invariably a recommendation for those concerned to be on the road much earlier. Ordinarily, that would pass for insensitivity on the part of the organisers. But to prescribe such time schedules under the prevailing insecurity situation in the country and for a programme involving youths and teenagers is reckless and dangerous.

What attitude could be more uncaring of responsibility to society? In suggestive admission of the scandalous time fixture, JAMB spokespersons denied the 6: 30am directive, emphasising that the exam proper started at 8am. It was difficult deciding which was more ridiculous; the barefaced lies about not having communicated 6:30am to candidates or 8am exam crap; or the bungled opportunity of candour and apology. It was a low moment for the organisation. Did it not bother the management what candidates who began accreditation by 6:30am and exams by 7.00am would think of these deceptions? What lessons would these manipulations teach them about sense of public service in their country?

Again, JAMB wanted to curtail expenditure by shrinking the number of days the exams would run. And again, this was to be achieved at the detriment of quality. The exam dash embarked upon by JAMB would explain  the early morning schedules and exploitation of candidates whose computer systems developed problems. There were reportedly no redress if the system hung for thirty minutes or an hour. In effect, the exams in some respect, became a crash programme focused on completing a task rather than upholding set standards.

Mercifully, JAMB’s admission of responsibility for the controversial mass failure came as this essay was about being completed. JAMB Registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede’s press conference of Wednesday, May 14, 2025, was a display of humanity and humility so rare in Nigeria’s public affairs. His sense of accountability was in sharp contrast to the  officialdom of May 9 when the candidates and Nigerians were taken for granted. The regret expressed over result analysis errors came across as sincere and I think most Nigerians would accept the apology. Although some harm has been done, the opportunity of resit for affected candidates should mitigate the extent of loss. What remains is for the JAMB authorities to internalise the lessons surrounding this chain of events in achieving better performance subsequently. And let our public officials, in high and low offices, take inspiration from this hopefully born – again experience to make themselves servants of the people dedicated to the common interest.

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.

By Richard Odusanya

Values play a significant role when adopting learning approaches by individuals during their studies. Values are the baseline of the ethical compass and regulate people’s daily behavior. Values establish the ultimate goals one has to achieve and how to get them. Values guide every decision-making process. Values help someone define what is proper, correct, important, beautiful, worthwhile, or desirable.

In essence, the “Results that Exposed our Values” can be interpreted in a few ways, all pointing to how our values are revealed through the outcomes of our actions and experiences. These outcomes can be in our academics, personal, professional, or even societal, and they can be positive or negative. Ultimately, they highlight the importance of our values in shaping how we live and interact with the world.

Unwittingly, the manifestation of our values is seen in our actions, behaviors, and attitudes. It’s also reflected in how we cherish or admire certain values, and in the principles and standards that guide our interactions with others, both individually and within society. Values are manifested in society by the collective actions of people in society.

Essentially, one of the things that plague our society is false value; there are numerous moralistic fault-finders with tremendously laughable superiority complexes based off defeatist attitudes of exalting existing in one’s exploitation or weakness, and parasitic proselytization of communal values.

Following from the above, the recently released JAMB results have generated a lot of hullabaloo for the simple reason that failure is staring us in the face. We are crying wolf where there’s none, because the unfolding scenario is long expected. More than 1.5 million candidates representing about 78 per cent- who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scored below 200 out of the 400 obtainable points.

For the avoidance of doubt, this monumental failure in JAMB examinations can be attributed to a combination of factors, including inadequate preparation, poor time management, lack of familiarity with the exam format, and exam anxiety. Technical issues during the exam, such as computer glitches, may have also contributed to lower scores. Additionally, some students may choose to pursue education abroad or in private universities, potentially leading to a calculated failure in the UTME.

In reality however, the previous year 2024 was slightly better. According to the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, 1,402,490 candidates scored below 200 out of the possible 400 marks. That is a whopping 76 percent of the candidates not scoring up to 50 percent of the marks. It has thus become an annual ritual, for the nation to be regaled with the record of performances of candidates who have been compelled to undertake a national examination in order to qualify to be admitted to study in a university.

The million-dollar question:

As parents; school teachers, school owners, examiners, invigilator and the larger society. Where did we get it wrong? Did we all failed?

Let’s examine how we got to this point:

• Is it the deterioration in adequate nutritional balance critical for cognitive capabilities of students?

• Is it the issue of underfunded schools which shows in the structures until roofs caved in.?

• Is it that of hungry and unqualified teachers in our schools?

• Is it that of unsuitable policies in our system?

• So, the critical questions arises, it should spark national conversation. Is this how we are going to raised “tomorrow’s leaders”?

• This is certainly our collective faults if in some years to come our children becomes the engineer who builds collapsing bridges; the doctor who kills patients and the leader who embezzled billions. Definitely, this is not the future we envisioned.

We all need to accept responsibility and act with intention. This is a timely reminder that transforming EDUCATION is not just about policy—it’s about people, purpose, and shared values.

Conclusively, it is worrisome, this is the time to revisit and mitigate the potential failure as we key into the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). It is important to begin by prioritizing the aspect of Technical and vocational Education and Training (TVET), which is crucial to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) as it equips individuals with the practical skills, lifelong learning and knowledge which could become the game-changer and rebuild trust in our education system and prepare our youths for a future with opportunity and innovation. Specifically, ‘TVET’ plays a key role in providing a workforce with the right competencies for the 4IR, in this era of global industrialization.

Finally, as we jointly confront the failed system, the critical question that arises should become our focus instead of rallying on paper qualifications over and above skill development. Because there’s a complex relationship between educational outcomes and the values that shape our society. Therefore, the 2025 JAMB results are more than just statistics—they serve as a mirror reflecting broader systemic issues, ethical dilemmas and social attitudes.

Richard Odusanya, [email protected]

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.