We See You, We Hear You, We Stand With You: Why 3,921 Children Must Not Rewrite JAMB

Two days ago, I wrote a brief reflection on what I perceived to be a systemic failure within Nigeria’s education framework, a failure which, in the recent JAMB examination imbroglio, has once again exposed the structural fragility of public service and its disregard for the emotional, academic, and financial welfare of our young citizens.

Since then, the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has issued a public apology and, in a rare show of emotion, wept before the cameras. Many have praised his tears as a mark of humility and accountability. In a country where public officeholders rarely apologize, perhaps such contrition is indeed a small victory.

But let us be clear: public weeping is not justice. Apology is not accountability. Brokenness is not remedy.

In law, we are taught a foundational principle expressed in Latin: “ubi jus, ibi remedium”, where there is a right, there is a remedy. And if a right has been violated, especially one as critical as access to a fair and functional education, then remedy is not a favour, it is a necessity.

According to JAMB’s own admission, 3,921 candidates across 100 centers nationwide were affected by the technological glitch that corrupted the results of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). These are not just numbers; they are our precious children. Many are first-generation students. Many are children from struggling families who invested time, money, and hope into this exam. What is the proposed remedy for these candidates? A re-sit. A do-over. A repeat of emotional trauma and academic stress, with no consequences for the institution that failed them.

Let us reflect: when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to electronically transmit results as it promised in the 2023 general elections, citing “technical glitches,” did Nigeria get a second election? Were ballots re-cast? No. The results were declared, contested, and ultimately accepted by the system. But when it is the ordinary citizen, our precious children, who suffer from systemic failure, the solution is to push the burden back to them.

This is neither logical nor just. It is, in fact, a disturbing demonstration of state convenience over citizen dignity.

What Should Justice Look Like? JAMB must release the actual results of all affected candidates after reviewing its server logs and internal data. These results belong to the candidates, they are not optional.

If a re-sit is truly unavoidable, it must come with compensation. This may include waiving future application fees, refunding transport and accommodation expenses, paying compensatory damages, and issuing public letters of apology to each affected student. Furthermore, such measures cannot be communicated in the lackadaisical and lord-of-the-manor manner in which they are currently being presented as a fait accompli. There must be adequate dialogue and respectful engagement with the precious children and their parents.

JAMB must be held accountable. Accountability in this context should include disciplinary consequences for any negligence discovered and a permanent review of its IT systems and quality assurance processes.

Leadership is not just about responding to crises with emotion. It is about building systems that prevent them, and offering real remedies when prevention fails.

Final Word: We must move beyond celebrating gestures and start insisting on substance. Apologies mean nothing if they are not followed by concrete action. A system that repeatedly harms its precious children and demands their resilience in return is not only broken, it is unjust.

To every child affected by this failure, and every parent watching in frustration: we see you, we hear you, and we stand with you.

Nigeria must do better, not later, but now. 

If this resonates with you, don’t scroll past, comment, share, and let’s amplify this call for justice. Our voices matter, but only when we raise them together. Let’s make them impossible to ignore.

Do have an INSPIRED weekend with the family.

Taiwo Akinlami is a Family Attorney, Family Strengthening and Child Protection Innovator, Parenting Ideologue, and Curator-in-Chief of ChildrenInfoBank.com. He advocates for systemic reforms in education, child safeguarding, and parenting across Africa and North America.