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JAMB: Parents, Students Recount Tales Of Woe

Published

5 years ago

April 20, 2019

Eric

By Promise Oshewa

“I had finished my SS3 and was looking forward to getting into the university and so I had to write JAMB. The first year, I had read for weeks for the exam, only to get to the centre, an my computer was malfunctioning. Of course I failed, the next year, everything went well, I wrote the examination without any issues and scored 294, I was now so so sure of admission, then when I went back to the check, our centre had a blank score. They said there was an issue, What uissue? Till date, no one has explained, I have decided to enroll for a Pre-degree programme”

This is a true story of Bernard, not real name who recounted his ordeal in the hands of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The body is the Federal Government agency empowered to conduct matriculation examination for entry into all universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

In addition, it empowered to appoint examiners, moderators, invigilators; place suitably qualified candidates in the tertiary institutions. It duties are humongous and it now seems the body is biting more than it can chew with the gale and tales of wore and the seeming unending challenges that had trailed its 2019 exams.

Just like the previous years, when students had to take manual test, its new computer-based tests have not solved its problem.

In 2015, when it decided to introduce the CBT, it was bedeviled by hitches: registration challenge,, random allocation of examination centres, shortage of centres and lack of efficient internet connectivity at centres.

Four years later, students and parents have not given the agency a clean bill of health. An angry Mrs Adetayo Koyejo revealed that her wad had to travel all the way to Delta State when she was informed that there was no longer space in the Lagos.

She narrated how they got to the centre for an examination billed for 4pm and had to wait till 7pm. What kind of punishment are we putting our youth through? She asked rhetorically.

In Lagos, candidates scheduled for the first session of the exam at 7:00a.m. and who did not want to be late, defied the early morning rain to ensure that they were at the exam venue as early as 6:00a.m at Funlearn Mind builders, Opebi, Lagos.

That day, the centre turned to a WrestleMania ring as students, parents and officials of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) went on rampage after the server went down for a long while few minutes into the examination.

The candidates who came prepared for the exam were disappointed when more than 30 of the computers being used automatically submitted and logged them out. Candidates who had barely attempted 10 questions were asked by the officials to step out of the hall after the time allotted for the 7:00a.m. set elapsed.

With full rage, parents and some of the students, already in tears, stormed the hall and disrupted the process for the next batch of candidates expected to sit for their examination at 9:00a.m.

Sources at CBT centres told TheBoss that some candidates who were unable to be verified were given forms to fill for JAMB to reschedule their examination.

Another major draw back is the new instruction from JAMB that candidates with biometric issues will have to come to its Abuja office to resolve the issue and also sit for the examination.

An exasperated Uzor Adiele wanted to know how that cannot be resolved at the state Headquarters of JAMB. Who will foot the bill of the transportation to Abuja, what of the accommodation and feeding. In this day of technology, why take such a draconian approach to problem solving?

Spokesperson of the Board, Mr Fabian Benjamin had stated that the reason for the introduction of the measure was stop it being used as an excuse to cheat.

“We noticed that some candidates will just go to the centres and say they cant register then, they begin to ask for a reschedule or a special day.

Even the mock exam also ran into hitches as only 245, 753 candidates took part in the examination out of the 1,657, 795 that registered for the examination.

In fact, two JAMB officials were attacked during the mock examination in Lagos. The officials according to Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the JAMB Registrar were attacked at the Lagos Polytechnic Centre.

According to him the officials would have been set ablaze but for some quick intervention. We were told that some candidates were protesting the poor state of the facilities and the atmosphere become charged and emotional, leading a complete breakdown of law and order.

Now that the 2019 examinations are over, it is time for JAMB and its officials to begin to clean up its acts by ensuring a hitch-free 2020 examination.

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Stay Away from CBT Centres, JAMB Warns Parents, Threatens Arrest

Published

14 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Eric

As this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) begins on Friday, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has vowed to arrest parents found near any Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre during the 2024 UTME exercise.

The directive was issued at the final briefing of the CBT centre owners, which was held virtually on Wednesday, 17th April, 2024.

The spokesman for JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, said this directive became necessary following the intrusive disposition of some parents during the Board’s previous exercises.

Benjamin, who quoted JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said any parent, who disobeys the order would not only be arrested but his ward would also be disqualified from sitting for the examination.

Oloyede explained that this measure became necessary as it has been discovered over time that many of these intruding parents are facilitators of examination infractions while others have, by their actions, disrupted the Board’s examinations in the past.

He added that some miscreants also disguise as parents to infiltrate the centres to perpetrate all forms of infractions.

“The Board’s helmsman noted that going by the extant national policy on education, a candidate for the examination must have attained the age of 17 years.

“Therefore, it is evident that these parents had not allowed their wards to pass through the classes as defined in the document, hence the desperation to follow their wards to the examination venue with the aim of compromising examination officials.

“At any rate, it is clear to any discerning observer that these parents deserve to be sanctioned as they had obviously ‘smuggled’ underage children into the ranks of those scheduled to sit the examination,” the Board note through a statement.

Furthermore, the Registrar said all arrangements have been concluded for the conduct of the 2024 UTME, which will be held in over 700 CBT centres across the nation.

He disclosed that the Board expects a seamless exercise but it has nevertheless made adequate provision to tackle any technical glitch that might occur in the course of the examination.

He, however, warned that if a session experienced any technical challenge, candidates in subsequent sessions would be allowed to sit their examination as scheduled while the candidates in the challenged session would be rescheduled for the last session for the day or the following day or even further depending on the centre schedules.

Featured

Oyo Govt Demolishes Operational Base of Yoruba Nation Agitators

Published

14 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Eric

The Oyo State government, on Wednesday, demolished a building serving as the operational base of the Yoruba Nation agitators led by Modupe Onitiri-Abiola, in Ibadan.

Onitiri-Abiola, one of the widows of late Bashorun M.KO Abiola, had declared the creation of the so-called Yoruba Nation in a video posted online, which has been widely condemned.

Last Saturday, some armed men in military uniforms invaded the Oyo State Secretariat, with the motive to forcefully take over the State House of Assembly, before they were dislodged by the combined efforts of police and troops for the Nigeria Army 2 Division..

Mr. Fatai Owoseni, Special Adviser on Security Matters to Governor Seyi Makinde, confirmed the demolition of the house located at Toye Oyesola Street in Ibadan South West Local Government Area.

Already, no fewer than 29 suspects – including a lecturer – arrested in connection with the foiled armed invasion were on Wednesday arraigned by the police before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan.

In a case with charge number Mi/520c/2024 between the Commissioner of Police and the 29 suspects, they were accused of a seven-count charge of treasonable felony, unlawful society, illegal possession of firearms, and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

Inspector Bakare Rasaq, the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan, said the offence contravenes, and is punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.

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PDP BoT Queries Damagum, Anyanwu’s Continued Stay in Office

Published

15 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Eric

The Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party has queried the continued stay in office of the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.

Recently, many party members have raised concerns about the ongoing tenure of Damagum and Anywanwu in their respective positions.

Previously serving as the PDP National Deputy Chairman (North), Damagum assumed the role of acting National Chairman following the court’s suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, in March of the preceding year.

With the National Secretary being selected as the PDP candidate for the Imo State 2023 governorship election, the South zone has been grappling with nominating a replacement. Despite this, he, along with other party leaders, contested and retained the position of party secretary after losing to Governor Hope Uzodinnma.

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