I became faculty dean as a youth corps member —JAMB Registrar

The story of how the Registrar, Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede, has transformed the agency responsible for admitting students into the country’s tertiary institutions is no longer news. Oloyede has continued to write his own story in beautiful prose.

The former University of Ilorin Vice Chancellor has demostrated that service to the fatherland can indeed be altruistic.

The one-time Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) was in the news a couple of times for remitting over N50bn generated by JAMB back to government coffers in six years, after recording expenses incurred in the coduct of the examination. He has since led a tremoundous transformation of the examination body.

The Professor of Islamic Studies, who spoke with Sunday Tribune recently, said he became the dean of a faculty at the then National Open University of Nigeria as a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

He noted that he was one of the first class graduates former President Shehu Shagari drafted to the university considering their performances at the graduate level in their various universities.

The registrar, who described the juicy position as tempting and overwhelming for his age and level, said he resolved to honour the invitation of University of Ilorin to become a Graduate Assistant despite having the leeway to work in parastatal agencies of government.

The former vice chancellor of UNILORIN disclosed that he was earning N528 monthly as a graduate assistant at UNILORIN, adding that he bought his first car for N600 by paying N300 in two installments.

“Having finished with a first class in Arabic from University of Ilorin, the then President Shehu Shagari drafted all of us to the then Open University of Nigeria for my NYSC. From there, I realised life should not be as easy as that.

“Life was so smooth that I decided that if life were to be that easy then everyone would have been living in golden houses. So, I decided to go back to the University of Ilorin.

“That was how I went back to complete my NYSC. At that time as a corps member, I was already a dean of a faculty.

“So, I was controlling things I ought not to be in charge of. The facilities I had were definitely more than the age of a fresh graduate. So, on the invitation of the University of Ilorin, I went back.

“At that time, people had so many opportunities to go into the Nigerian Army, National Television Authority, including the then Federal Mortgage Bank.

“But, University of Ilorin offered me Graduate Assistantship and I felt that is the right place to be.

“I was earning N528 per month. From there, I bought my first car for N600. When I got my salary, I simply told the seller I would pay you twice.

“So, I paid N300 at first and completed it the following month. That was how I became a car owner,” he said.

Speaking about his dreams in life as a young lad, Oloyede said his intention was to become a scholar who is able to preach, and teach at the Arabic School.

He stated that the experiences of people like the late Ayomaya, Femi Abbas, and Professor Abubakar encouraged him to further his dream while at Morikaz School in Agege.

Oloyede concluded that he went for a Certificate Course at the University of Ibadan, taught at Nawair-Ud-Deen Grammar School and thereafter got admission by Direct Entry into the University of Ilorin.

“When I was at Morikaz School in Agege, my intention was to be a scholar to be able to preach and teach at the Arabic school level.

“When I got there, I was encouraged by people like Late Ayomaya, Femi Abbas, Professor R.B. Abubakar. All of them were products of Arabic School but who ended up in the universities.

“And I just felt that if these people could be what they were, why can’t I? So, it was from Morikaz in Agege that I went to the University of Ibadan.

“When I finished my certificate course, I went to teach in Nawair-Ud-Deen Grammar School. From there, I gained admission by direct entry into the University of Ilorin,” Oloyede said.