In response to the dismal performance of the 2024 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exam, Nigerian Army soldier Kolawole Oludare Stephen took to social media to share his impressive 2011 UTME result. CONTINUE READING

According to JAMB, only 0.5% of this year’s candidates scored 300 or higher, while 76% scored below 199.

In a Facebook post, the military man said he had barely been in the service for three years when he was nudged to return to school, which led him to sit for the JAMB exam in 2011.

Kolawole stated that there was no time to read, but nevertheless, he squeezed out little time to prepare for the exam.

“…There was basically no time to read, you’d always see me with a piece of paper whenever I’m not on sentry. Like an Ondo-born medieval native doctor, I was always chanting stuffs to myself just to retain information.”
On the day of the exam, Kolawole said he came up with a lie to be excused as he was on duty that day and didn’t spend up to 40 minutes on the exam. In his words:

“Going to write exam” doesn’t sound convincing, so I had to give a more reasonable excuse to leave my post. I met with my guard Commander and told him to permit me to go use the ATM, buy foodstuffs and take them home, Baba sha granted me one hour.

“I took many factors into consideration. The time to get to the exam center and back was fixed for 30 minutes. I gave myself 40 minutes to write my exams.
“Exam had already commenced when I arrived. I quickly scanned through the questions. I dedicated 5 minutes to read through instructions and questions. I finished up before 40 minutes, submitted and left the hall…”

The military man shared a copy of his Evan Enwerem University post-UTME result which showed he scored 224 in the 2011 UTME.

He also had 276 in the post-UTME. Sharing his thoughts on students’ poor performance in the just-concluded UTME, Kolawole blamed different factors.

“Failed parenting – mumu born mumu. Pablo marry pablet born pablese. All shades of abnormality.
“Decline in the quality of education – government no care.
“Lack of willpower.”

Zainab Omowunmi said:
“This is a result of bad parenting and the fact that reading and comprehending power has reduced.”
Joemike Ochonu said:

“It is really unfortunate with the rate of failure in jamb. Most of them are always on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook arguing with their keyboard thinking they are arguing with adult. May God save our youths.”