UTME: JAMB registers 800,000 candidates in 17 days, Registrar threatens to revoke DIC licence in Abuja

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said on Wednesday that 800,000 candidates have registered since the sales of UTME form began on March 20.
The board’s Head of Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said in Lagos that the introduction of the remita mode of payment has improved the process of acquiring registration documents.
Prospective candidates for the 2017 all Computer Based Testing (CBT) had urged the board to consider extending the registration period due to the multiple challenges accompanying the process.
They described the process as cumbersome, stressful and frustrating and as such, that there was need to extend the deadline in order to capture all.
However, Benjamin said that the introduction of the remita mode of payment had mitigated the challenges faced by the candidates in acquiring the e-pins.
He said that the new remita mode allowed anyone to make payment and get the e-pins from the comfort of their homes.
“This measure has doubled the rate of the registration as over 800,000 candidates have registered.
“I want to assure all candidates that are desirous of registering for this examination, will not be left out.
“We are working hard to ensure that no Nigerian child is denied of his or her right of advancing in education.
“What we are doing currently is for the benefit of not only these candidates, but for the entire Nigerians.
“We do not intend to extend the registration deadline as we are sure that all of the candidates will be duly registered,’’ he said.
Benjamin said that reports had also indicated that many registration centre owners were happy with the way the exercise was going.
He said the centre owners had not complained of any form of challenges as they were well briefed, and the centres, well screened before the registration began.
The registration for the UTME started on March 20 and is scheduled to end on April 19.
The computer based testing of the UTME has been scheduled to begin on May 6.
Meanwhile, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has threatened to revoke the licence of Digital Bridge Institute (DIC) for not complying to its registration rules and regulations.
Oloyede issued the threat when he inspected the centre in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to him, the DIC is on wireless system as a result registration becomes very slow that candidates spent more time in the registration process.
He said the centre was supposed to register 100 candidates at a time but it could only take 20.
The registrar noted that other centres visited were not having any problems registering candidates except DIC.
Candidates numbering no fewer than 150 were seen clustering the centre’s gate as they take turns to enter the premises for registration
The candidates were also chanting protest songs. After the intervention of the JAMB Registrar, peace was restored.
Also, the registrar quickly arranged for the candidates, especially the males to be moved to other centres where there was less pressure in the registration.
However, the management of DIC attributed the delay to poor network, saying that the router could only take 20 candidates at a time.