Professor Ishaq Olanrewaju Oloyede is the posterboy for decency, efficiency, financial modesty and service in the Nigerian Public Service.
An academic juggernaut, Oloyode has always written his name in gold right from his formative years even before he became the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin.
His giant strides in standing for Islam as a devout Muslim individual and the portfolio he holds as the Secretary General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) cannot be over-emphasized. This, has no doubt, earned him a lot of friends and foes alike.
Surprisingly however, the Professor of Islamic Studies continues to prove his worst critics wrong and dazzle his teeming supporters with his enviable qualities and inestimable contributions to the development of a saner Nigeria since he returned an unprecedented whopping sum of N5 billion to the Nigerian government treasury within a year of his assumption of the leadership of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) (between 2016 to 2017) as against the sum total of ~N~ 50 million remitted by the previous management of the board over 7 years (from 2010 to 2016).
There is no doubt that he is a Muslim technocrat per excellence.
During his years as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, he restored sanity to all departments and units of the institution, making it rank first in Nigeria with an uninterrupted academic calendar which of course endeared the Citadel of Learning to many, making it the most-sought after University in Nigeria. Signs and imprints of his legacies are still very much abound in the institution.
Despite a wide range of opposition that trailed his emergence as Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in Nigeria, Oloyede has left no one in doubt that he is the man that the cap best fits. His positive deviation from the status quo is novel.
Since his assumption of office, he has introduced a number of initiatives at the Board that continues to bring about positive developments to the students and all stakeholders even as he continues to break records, remitting billions of naira into the government treasury.
His disdain for immorality, such as examination malpractice is second to none. So far, he has facilitated the apprehension of examination malpractice offenders.
In his time as JAMB registrar, instances of corruption were dealt with frontally. Nigerians will recall the notoriety of a JAMB Official who claimed that the monies she generated from the sale of JAMB recharge cards which amounted to some 70 million naira was swallowed by snakes.
He continually seeks ways to promote the integrity of Examinations that the Board conducts such as blacklisting of corrupt CBT centres and the recent introduction of National Identity Number (NIN) as a prerequisite for enrollment for the 2020 examination and beyond.
His compassionate persona was demonstrated when he suspended this requirement till 2021 due to the challenges prospective candidates had to go through to get themselves registered for the NIN.
The management of Muslim News therefore finds him worthy of recognition in its 2019 Nigerian Muslim Personality of the Year for his exemplary leadership conduct throughout his years at the University of Ilorin and especially his current tenure as JAMB Registrar and CEO; with particular reference to his strong anti-corruption, anti-exam malpractices and pro-fiscal discipline strides in JAMB as well as in NSCIA.
It might interest our esteemed readers to know that Prof Oloyede is being honoured and recognised by Muslim News, Nigeria’s most authoritative Islamic newspaper for the second consecutive year after emerging in third position during the 2018 maiden edition.
“We celebrate him because of his transparency and accountability, which are the cardinal principles of Islam. We believe that, if others – both in the public and private sectors – emulate his honesty, integrity and hard work, our country will thrive and become one of the biggest economies in the world,” said Rasheed Abubakar, the Publisher of the Newspaper.Read more about him HERE
4th Position:
Prof. Lakin Akintola: The ‘Lion of Islam’ is 4th on the list of the Top 5 Nigerian Muslim Personalities of the Year 2019 | Read more HERE
5th Position:
Prof. Fatima Batul Mukhtar emerges 5th in the Top 5 Nigerian Muslim Personalities of the Year 2019 | Read more >>>
Prof. Fatima Batul Mukhtar emerges 5th in the top 5 Nigerian Muslim Personalities of the Year 2019
