2017 UTME: JAMB identifies, addresses logistics lacuna

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has assured parents and candidates that it had addressed the logistics lacuna experienced in the 2016 examination, ahead of the 2017 exercise.

The examination body said that henceforth, it would place more priority on centre accreditation, before the commencement of all its subsequent examinations.

The Registrar of the board, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

Ojerinde blamed the logistics challenge on those vested with the responsibility of properly accrediting examination centres during the 2016 all Computer Based Test (CBT) Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), saying that they compromised the process.

“Let me state clearly that that the challenges recorded in some centres during the just-concluded 2016 (UTME) will not repeat itself.

“Henceforth, with effect from the 2017 version of the examination, things would no longer be the same.

“We shall insist on a thorough accreditation and put the machinery in place that will ensure that accreditation meets our required standard.

“Some of these centres will invite us to use their centres, presenting us with the state of the art facilities during the accreditation.

“But they later go ahead to replace these facilities with substandard facilities during the examination proper,’’ he said.
The registrar, however, noted that the board had identified and sanctioned some of its staff who were involved in the accreditation scam.

“Let me tell you now that we were saddened by the development, whereby candidates would start facing undue challenges during examination, as a result of technical hitches.

“Those persons whose responsibilities it was to ensure proper accreditation for centres before the commencement of the examination and ensure a smooth conduct are already in my net in JAMB now.

“They are going to be severely punished; infact, some of them who are members of my staff are already serving their punishments.

“At least six of them have been transferred back to the headquarters and these are heads of offices,’’ Ojerinde added.