Loss of a Rare Leader: Professor Isa Baba Mohammed died today
The Chairman of the 5th and 6th Governing Board of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board between 1988 and 1993, Professor Isa Baba Mohammed died early today, Monday, 28th December 2020.
He died in Bauchi and will be buried in his hometown, Ningi also in Bauchi State this afternoon.
Professor Isa B. Mohammed was the Chairman of the Board when JAMB’s mandate was expanded to cover the responsibility of the conduct of matriculation examination and admission to Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in Nigeria in 1989. He also supritended the construction of the JAMB Headquarters in Abuja and the expansion of the Board’s in Kaduna to accommodate the Test Development and the then Research, Monitoring and Evaluation ( now Quality Assurance) Departments.
Professor Isa Mohammed was Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar when he was announced as the premier Vice Chancellor of the then newly established University of Abuja. At the same time he was the Chairman of the Committee of Vice Chancellors and also the Chairman of JAMB.
He held these powerful positions concurrently before he relinquished the post of VC, University of Calabar. Professor Isa Mohammed was a Professor of Mathematics of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and he was also Chairman of the National Mathematical Centre.
Professor Mohammed had been with JAMB since inception as he was the representative of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria on the first Governing Board in 1977.
The late Professor Isa Baba Mohammed held the traditional title of Galadima of Ningi.
Earlier this year, 2020, the Board had lost the Chairman of its First Governing Board, Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe and also the Chairman of the 8th Governing Board, Igwe Professor Samson Chukwuma Ukpabi.
With the demise of Professor Isa Baba Mohammed, JAMB has lost one of the major actors of its history. He had the rare and only opportunity so far to Chair two successive Governing Board of JAMB.
Professor Mohammed is survived by many relations, friends and colleagues who will all miss the erudite scholar, leader per excellence and a consummate public officer of high repute and international standing.
May Allah grant Professor Isa Mohammed a place in aljanah firdaus.
Our condolences to members of his immediate family.
Yusuf Lawal
Director Test Administration
