A recent decision by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to reschedule an examination for candidates affected by errors in the recently released results has been met with strong opposition from the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide. The group, which is the youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, described the decision as “unacceptable” and a “disservice” to the candidates.

The controversy began when JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, admitted that errors had led to low scores for candidates in the five South-East states and Lagos State. In response, the Board announced plans to reschedule the exam for the affected candidates. However, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has rejected this proposal, arguing that it would subject the candidates to “another round of mental torture, stress and risk” for no fault of their own.

According to the National President of the group, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, the candidates are not in the right frame of mind to undergo another examination, having already been subjected to mental torture since the fake results were announced. Nnabuike also raised concerns about who would bear the cost of the rescheduled exam, noting that the parents of the candidates are already facing severe financial challenges. Furthermore, he highlighted the risk of moving to examination locations in a country ravaged by insecurity.

Instead of rescheduling the exam, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide is demanding that JAMB allocate a score of 300 to all South-East candidates affected by the error. Nnabuike argued that the Igbo people are “very brilliant” and could have achieved scores of 300 and above. He claimed that the error was a “deliberate design” to punish the people of the South-East and deny them education opportunities.

The group has threatened to take JAMB to court if their demands are not met, warning that no amount of “crocodile tears” from the Registrar will save the Board. The dispute highlights the ongoing challenges and controversies surrounding the Nigerian education system, and the need for fair and transparent processes to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to succeed.