Scrap JAMB Examination, OPM G.O. Urges Federal Government

…Questions 6:30 a.m. exams schedules

The Founder and General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries (OPM), Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere, has appealed to the Federal Government to scrap the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination, describing it as an unnecessary burden on parents and students seeking admission into Nigerian universities.

Chinyere made this appeal on Sunday during his sermon at the Omega Power Ministries International Headquarters in Port Harcourt.

He argued that JAMB has lost its relevance, noting that tertiary institutions still conduct their own entrance examinations for prospective students after the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Apostle Chinyere, who is also the King of Ikwuorie Ancient Kingdom in Ohanku Ndoki, Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State, questioned why JAMB schedules examinations as early as 6:30 a.m., despite prevailing security concerns in the country.

“Sometimes I wonder why JAMB fixes exams for 6:30 a.m. Do you know that for all my adopted children under OPM scholarships going for JAMB, I have to give them extra money to pay for hotels?”

He explained that providing funds for accommodation creates additional financial strain on the church, as the students are often unable to travel safely in the early hours. According to him, they are compelled to stay overnight in hotels close to their examination centres.

Chinyere also criticised the board for posting candidates to centres far from their residences.

“JAMB is always posting them to centres very far away from where they live. What should have been done to reduce the risk to students and the burden on parents is to post them to centres close to their homes,” he said.

Citing security concerns, he referenced a reported incident involving the abduction of candidates in Benue State.

“I saw something on social media that 12 people who went to write JAMB in Benue State were kidnapped. It is really very unfortunate. I am calling on the Federal Government to scrap JAMB,” he added.

The cleric noted that countries facing similar socio-economic challenges have adopted more inclusive and student-friendly admission processes. According to him, several African and Asian nations use centralised, school-based continuous assessment systems, allowing for a more holistic evaluation of students rather than relying on a single high-stakes examination.
“Because in OPM, we have students on our scholarships in the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and the Benin Republic,” he said.

He further explained the admission process in foreign universities: “If you want to get admission into universities outside Nigeria, you don’t need JAMB. You apply to the university, they send you an unconditional letter of offer, and when we pay the school fees, they send a conditional letter of offer which serves as your admission after your WAEC results have been uploaded and verified. They won’t ask you to write JAMB.”

Chinyere criticised the multiple stages students must go through to gain admission in Nigeria, describing the process as frustrating.

“In Nigeria, you will write WAEC; after WAEC, you will write JAMB; after JAMB, you will write post-UTME; then you wait for the school cut-off mark and departmental cut-off mark. If you don’t meet it, you wait another year, register for JAMB again, and start afresh. It is very frustrating,” he said.

He warned that failure to reform or scrap JAMB could worsen the number of out-of-school children, as repeated setbacks discourage students.

Recall that Omega Power Ministries (OPM) has sponsored numerous underprivileged Nigerians on both local and international scholarships for more than 15 years and still counting, funded through tithes and offerings.