JAMB suspends registration for mock exams

…Nine Candidates Slump On Queue,
Govt. Decries Slow Pace Registration, Nonchalant Attitude Of Officials

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reassured Nigerians especially the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) candidates and their parents that all hands are on deck to ensure smooth conduct of this year’s exercise.

Towards this end, the Board suspended the ongoing registration exercise for today, to enable it concentrate on the Mock Exams that would take place throughout the country ahead of the proper examinations scheduled for next month.

JAMB registrar, Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, who gave the indication in an interaction with newsmen yesterday, said the board would do everything to make the exercise stress-free.

Meanwhile the Board has suspended all activities relating to the registration exercise in any CBT center from 8pm yesterday, to resume on Monday. “However, as stated earlier, no one will be left behind as the deadline may be extended if there are applicants who do not succeed at registering due to circumstances beyond their control.

Meanwhile, hundreds of parents/guardians have continued to besiege the JAMB Office in Asaba, Delta State following poor registration exercise for its candidates. In the last two weeks, the office has been a mecca of sorts for aggrieved parents who described the exercise as discouraging and a ploy to deny their children from registering. Investigations reveal that candidates are facing untold hardship, as they struggle to stay in long queues under the sun.

It was gathered that the Data processing machines of the JAMB Office have broken down due to the high number of candidates. But the State Co-ordinator of JAMB, Mr. Emeka Mozie claims this is untrue, saying that the slow registration is caused by poor network.

In the early hours of yesterday, parents were seen at the gate, exchanging words with the Officials who instructed the security men to lock them out.
A parent, Mr. John Odigie, accused the officials of nonchalance while some of the candidates accused them of looking for bribes, and called on the police to investigate.

Business activities however, have increased around the premises as pure water, bread, and soft drinks sellers have taken advantage of the situation to make brisk sales.
Sadly, nine candidates slumped yesterday while on the queue after an endless wait for them to be registered but were rescued by officials of the Red Cross.

Meanwhile, the state government has expressed displeasure over the slow pace. Barr. Chiedu Ebie, the State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, noted that it would be difficult for JAMB to register a reasonable number of candidates with what was on ground.