Only God can sustain anti-corruption fight in Nigeria, says JAMB Registrar, Oloyede

The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, yesterday, said it would only take the grace of God to sustain how the examination board will succeed in curbing corruption and maintain high ethical standards.

Oloyede, who spoke virtually during a programme organised by the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), funded by MacArthur Foundation in Ibadan, Oyo State, commended NISER for creating the space for reflection by stakeholders on how to reduce corruption and deepen accountability within Nigerian institutions.

The JAMB helmsman, who noted that although only God could sustain any reform effort, said as much as humanly possible, mentoring, courage in leadership and regular training would help to sustain the anti-corruption legacy of the board.

He said one of the factors that motivated him to pursue aggressive reforms and anti-corruption drive in JAMB was the prevalence of powerful contractors, whom he said were visible and deeply involved in the activities of the board.

Oloyede said one of the behavioural attitudes that could help fight corruption is the ability to resist and reject the activities of those who are ready to recruit one into corrupt practices by offering what one least expects in life.

Earlier in her opening remarks, Director-General of NISER, Prof. Antonia Simbine, said: “This seminar is indeed important. It is another NISER/MacArthur Foundation Actualising Behaviour Change Series. It is our proudly unique platform for knowledge engagement among scholars, policy-makers and bureaucrats of the behavioural change approach to corruption control in Nigeria.

On her part, Deputy Country Director of MacArthur Foundation, Dr. Amina Salihu, said the Foundation had to engage NISER and other top government policy think-tanks to facilitate anti-corruption efforts.

Her words: “We need to understand what motivates people and what makes them do what they do and not do what they are supposed to do. This search took us to the need for behavioural insights.”

In their separate presentations, Doctors Adebukola Daramola and Tosin Ilevbare stressed that efforts at tackling the phenomenon of corruption in Nigeria dated back several decades, but success and progress have been minimal.