NETWORK FAILURE AND DELAY FAULTS UTME

Network failure and delay characterised the commencement of this year’s Unified Tertiary Institution Examination in many centres in Jos, Plateau State and Lagos; findings by our correspondents have shown.

This came even as a former National Universities Commission’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Peter Okebukola, hailed the leadership of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board for embarking on a full-scale Computer-Based Test in the country.

In many of the centres visited by our correspondents on Tuesday, the examination did not start at the official time of 8am, even as many candidates converged on the centres before the scheduled time.

No fewer than 1.4 million candidates are sitting for the examination, which commenced in more than 400 centres and in seven overseas countries. The examination is to last for 10 days.

In Jos, Plateau State, one of our correspondents gathered that JAMB officials had hectic time setting up the computers for the examination.

For instance, at   the ICT Centre of the University of Jos, the examination did not start on time as the first batch of candidates began the test two hours later.

The delay affected the second batch of candidates, as they also did not start of their examination on time.

It was also gathered that some of the candidates did not know how to use the computers, a development that caused another round of delay.

One of the candidates, who craved anonymity, said, “Look it is past 11am and we are supposed to start by 8am.”

He expressed frustration at what he described as a shoddy arrangement by officials of JAMB.

Another candidate, Elizabeth Pam, said the confusion started from the issuance of examination slips.

She said, “They told us to come for the slips penultimate Monday but I didn’t get mine till Wednesday. Remember some students even protested that Wednesday because they couldn’t get their slips.”

Another candidate, who called himself, Indi, said, “We were admitted into the hall at 6am, but the exam did not start till sometime after 10am.”