The Association of Tutorial School Operators has suspended the Secretary of its Oyo State chapter, Ogundokun Olufunso, for calling for a five-year single term for registrars of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
Olufunso, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, had argued that the non-renewable five-year tenure would block loopholes.
He also faulted JAMB’s policy, which restricts services such as changing institutions and uploading O’level results to its offices and CBT centres.
According to him, the measure sidelines cybercafés, raises costs for candidates, and creates unnecessary congestion.
ATSO’s National President, Oludotun Sodunke, while speaking with Sunday PUNCH, stated that Olufunso was suspended for speaking outside his mandate.
“He was suspended because he spoke out of his purview. He spoke on a national issue when, at best, he should only have spoken for Oyo ATSO, and even then, with approval. We are partners with most examination bodies to advise, not to attack them,” he said.
Sodunke defended JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, describing him as a reformer whose extended tenure allowed him to achieve significant progress.
He emphasised that longer tenures for education leaders help ensure consistency, noting that frequent leadership changes can lead to policy reversals.
“The current registrar may have his shortcomings because no one is perfect, but he is doing well. I expect whoever succeeds him to surpass his record because he has raised the bar.
“When this registrar resumed, I initially protested when he directed that a change of institution must be done only at JAMB offices. But later, I understood. Some cybercafés are run by fraudsters and malpractice agents, while CBT centres are under camera surveillance, monitored directly by JAMB,” he said.
He, however, suggested that JAMB could still accredit trustworthy tutorial centres and select cybercafés to ease the burden on candidates who currently travel long distances for registration and related services.
