The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has explained why it included Arabic in examination question for police recruitment.
While speaking on Monday when the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), visited him at the JAMB headquarters in Abuja, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, explained that the recently conducted police recruitment examination questions were set by its workers who are Christians.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, however, insisted that contrary to insinuation that Arabic was made compulsory in the examination, no candidate was instructed or made to forcibly attempt any question in Arabic, explaining that the subject was included as dummy.
JAMB also explained that the examination was administered by some senior Christian staff among whom it disclosed, was a “deacon in one of the largest pentecostal churches in the country.”
Oloyede, who said the explanation became necessary following spreading of falsehood by some mischief makers, said he was pained that he could be seen as someone that could plan a demeaning act against a particular faith in the country.
He said; “The examination questions were incidentally set and administered by the directorate staff of the board among who incidentally is a deacon in one of the largest pentecostal churches in Nigeria.“
He expressed concern over the continuous controversies trailing the police recruitment examination in the country.
The board said it was particularly worried that despite its earlier explanation how the examination was conducted following allegation raised in some quarters that Arabic subject was made compulsory, some people have refused to see reasons with earlier explanation, regretting that rather, mischievous elements were spreading falsehood on the development.
He said: “I am worried over the misrepresentation of the whole scenario, which has continued to cause unnecessary tension in the country. It is worrisome that Nigeria has degenerated to a level where we don’t trust each other anymore even amongst religious leaders.”
Insisting that Arabic questions were not part of the examination but were simply included as dummies to enable the software function proper, the JAMB boss said he was concerned over the enormous division among the various faiths in the country.
To this end, he called on Nigerians to put the country first in all they do just as he urged “Nigerians to work as one indivisible entity otherwise the much clamoured development would elude us.”