Since 1993, Mustapha Ayoola Olasupo has been an administrative staff of Osun State College of Technology (OSCOTECH), working in various departments. In 2013, he joined the academic staff and began lecturing in the Department of Estate Management and Valuation.

As a state owned college of education, there have been several allegations of corrupt practices, particularly involving back door admissions with fake results and the issuing of counterfeit certificates. An April 2024 bulletin of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) revealed that at least 1,665 fake results were uncovered during the direct entry registration process.

JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this figure during a meeting with the National Association of Nigeria Colleges of Education Students (NANCES) leadership in Abuja. Of these fake results, 397 were from colleges of education, 453 were university diplomas, and the remainder were A-Level certificates. 

These allegations are not new to Olasupo, who has been involved in admissions, exams, and issuing certificates throughout his career at OSCOTECH. His commitment to integrity has made him a key figure in combating corruption at the institution. He has often encountered attempts to sidestep proper procedures, using fake O’Level or ND results to gain admission.

Olasupo recounted an incident involving a lady with fake results linked to the school’s governing council members. He was pressured to write a report falsely, declaring the results genuine, which nearly cost him his job.

“They asked me to write that the lady did not use fake O level results, which I refused to do. Perhaps because of this, I was denied promotion for many years, and my conversion was not completed. People just created animosity towards me. However, everything was eventually resolved,” he said.

The lady and others in similar situations were later pardoned by the board of studies and asked to retake their O’Level exams to rectify deficiencies before receiving their diploma.

Another case involved two students with fake O’Level results who were related to colleagues in his office. The matter dragged on until Olasupo defended himself before a panel and was vindicated.

Even after joining the academic staff, where he was responsible for setting exams, marking scripts, and grading, Olasupo encountered further issues with academic dishonesty. He frequently rejected bribes from students seeking undeserved grades and awarded marks based solely on merit.

“Students who were cultists frequently threatened my life because I refused to accept their plea to turn a blind eye. They used money firstly and when they saw I could not be bought they moved to violence but I did not relent,” he said.

Despite the challenges he experienced, Olasupo remained upright. He was often compared to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) due to his dedication to rejecting bribes and his commitment to his work.

“Integrity means uprightness above all forces of indiscipline. I believe I have a reputation to maintain and also an exemplary life to live that can influence others to do what is right,” he explained.

Jacob Oluwaseyi, a former registrar of the college who retired in 2023, extols Olasupo’s virtues, describing him as a trustworthy person and one who changed the process of verifying results with thorough reviews of student certificates

Mustapha Olasupo has received three commendation letters from OSCOTECH for his unwavering morals and dedication. 

He noted that the institution has made significant strides in addressing these issues, including digitizing processes to reduce result manipulation and curb cultism. “This is because any student found engaged in any cult activity is dismissed and handed over to the police,” he concluded.

This report is championed by Accountability Lab Nigeria and sponsored by The John D. and Catherine D. MacArthur Foundation and Luminate.