Some parents and candidates writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have complained of poor network and malfunctioning of computers at the designated CBT Centre in Nasarawa, Nasarawa State.
Some of the parents said in separate interviews in Nasarawa, Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state, that this would affect their children performance negatively.
They, however, called on the management of JAMB to ensure that all accredited JAMB centre systems were working properly so as not to short changed candidates sitting for the examination.
But they lauded security agents for restricting the movement of people aroung and within the examination hall.
Mr Ayuba Joshua, a parent whose son is writing UTME, expressed disappointment over the challenge of poor network and malfunctioning of computers.
“We are here since morning, some of the students that are writing 9 a.m examinations have complained of poor network and malfunctioning of systems.
“They have told us that keyboards and mouses are not functinoning well and some of them are still in the examination hall due to bad network.
“Our problem also is that applicants writing 1 p.m examination are yet to commence their examinations, look at the time now (3.45pm). We don’t why.
“We don’t know what is happening that since 9 a.m; students are still in the examination hall, it means there is problem of poor network or something,” he said.
Another parent, Mr Chinize Nwosu, also confirmed that “students writing 9 a.m examination are still inside the examination hall without doing anything as at 2 p.m.
“Some of the students complained to us that there was poor network, the keyboards and mouses are not functioning well.
“Those writing 9 a.m examination are still in the hall,” he said.
Mrs Celina Christopher, another parent, also appealed to JAMB to always ensure proper arrangements in order to ensure hitch free exercise.
Another parent, Mr Rishama Maiwazi, also decried poor network which may affect candidates’ performance negatively.
“Security agents are doing good job. I commend them for restriction of movement. If you are not a candidate, you will not enter the hall which is good.
“But the problem is that students are complaining of poor network and bad systems,” he said.
Some of the affected students, who spoke on condition of anonymity, decried poor network and malfunctioning of computers.
“Please help us tell JAMB, other stakeholders and the general public that the systems/computers, mouse here are not working well.
“I am in the examination hall since 9 a.m and it is just now (3 p.m) that I have finished,” one of the students said.
In Lokoja, Kogi State, some parents, whose children sat for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) on Saturday expressed their frustration and disappointment on the conduct of the exam at YABMA International Science Academy, 500 Housing Unit.
Some of the parents expressed disappointment for the delay in the commencement of the examination.
A parent, Pastor Igwe Liberty, said that the UTME which was supposed to start by 7a.m. could not commence until around 11:15a.m,. due to system error according to the school management.
”We have thousands of students under the sun waiting to write the UTME exam that supposed to start by 7am, but it never started till around quarter past 11am.
”We were told the same problem happened during the last Mock examination.
”So, our own apprehension is that if the same thing happened during mock exam and they were not able to rectify it until the main exam now, then, it calls for a great concern on the plight of our children,” Liberty said.
He urged the JAMB Registrar to ensure they deploy unbiased supervisors for proper monitoring for the sake of their children.
Another parent, Mr Ovim Ochechi, said what was happening at the centre was the saddest experience to Nigerian academics, saying it was a betrayal of trust from JAMB.
”I think JAMB must have to be particular about this centre this time around, so that we can know where the problem is coming from,” Ochechi said.
On her part, Hajia Zara Ahmed, also a parent, said the centre did not have the capacity to be a JAMB CBT centre and should be disqualified.
”JAMB should have ensured that the candidates get the result of their mock exam before approving the centre for UTME.
”I want JAMB to disqualify the centre as CBT,”she said.
Another parent, Pastor Wole Olowo, said the conduct of the exam at the centre was not encouraging, saying the exam that ought to start by 7am, eventually started around past 11am.
”It is not encouraging and we are calling on JAMB to be more proactive”, Olowo said.
A candidate, Olajumoke Dada, said the UTME was about their future and called on the JAMB management to take action on the school.
”The JAMB should please help us about this thing, this is the same thing they did to us during our mock exam, uptil now our result is no yet out, whereas other centres have received theirs.
”They should please have mercy on us, this is about our future and destination, the school is not even bothered. The government should please help us”, Dada said.
Another candidate, Blessing Umeh, also appealed to JAMB to do something about the centre, saying she was yet to received her mock result which she wrote on June 3, 2021 at the centre.
”We have the same problem of system error that day we did our mock exam, today we are having the same problem again.
”We want JAMB to disqualify this school from handling UTME because they are incompetent”, Umeh said.
Other candidates, Joy Ogu, Falilat Usman and Mecry Adeiza, who also spoke to NAN, alluded to the problem of system error associated with the school, saying their mock results were yet to be released.
”All we want is for the JAMB to disqualify this centre from being JAMB CBT centre”, Adeiza said.
JAMB Supervisor at the centre, Mr Alakali Williams, confirmed the delay in the commencement of the exam due to technical failure.
He, however noted that they had earlier on Friday done a proper checks and inspection of the systems, but an unforseen system error came up at the commencement of the exam today.
”But unfortunately this morning, we were unble to pink the server as the computers were not communicating with the server.
”This actually delayed the examination until around 11:20am which ought to have started by 7 a.m.
”We regret all these challenges we had, but so far so good as I am talking to you, the examination is going on perfectly okay.
”Even though some of these challenges are technical issues which are inevitable, but we hope the school management would also try as much as possible to make sure they thoroughly check their systems and their connections prior to the exam day,” Williams said.
On his part, the Proprietor of YABMA International Science Academy, Alhaji Yakubu Yinusa, said the exam started behind scheduled due to system error on some few computers.
He explained that the exam would not be able to start until they had a complete number of computers equivalent to the number of students scheduled to sutt at a time for the exam.
”So, it is a technical issues which is inevitable to some extent. But thank God we have been able to fix it.
”In any exam all over, first day is always an issue but your ability to withstand and get it rectified is your technical commitment”,
”But thank God we have been able to trace the fault and fix it, and the examination is already in progress. We will continue to improve”, Yinusa said.
He noted that over 3,500 candidates had been scheduled to sit for the UTME at the centre, saying a total of 250 candidates could conveniently sit for the exam simultaneously.
He, however, exonerated the school as far the delay in the mock result was concerned, saying the result was just uploaded on the server on Friday.
However, many of the parents said the mock results were yet to be uploaded on the server as at the time of filing this report.
The UTME examination could not be completed at the centre until around 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Meanwhile, some supervisors and candidates in various centres in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State have commended the conduct of the exercise in spite of little itches
They bare their mindset in Abakaliki.
The first set of the examination slated to start at 7am suffered a little delay following the hitches.
JAMB CBT have three batches each day of the examination, which commenced on June 19th, 2021, and will end on July 3rd, 2021.
According to the timetable, the 1st batch, will commence by 7 am, 2nd batch, by 9:30 am and the 3rd batch, by 1:30 pm on each day of the examination.
Mr Nehemiah Zaka, Supervisor at Comprehensive School of Management and Technology (CSMT),Abakaliki, said that the examination had to start at 8:30-am due to a technical issue encountered.
CSMT and Announciation Secondary Schools Kpirikpiri,Abakaliki, commenced the first session of the examination at 8:30 a.m and 8:50 a.m respectively.
Zaka, who supervised at the JAMB Computer-based Testing (CBT) examination centre at CSMT, said that the challenge experienced was minor technical issue which was rectified.
The supervisor said that 250 candidates were expected at each session of the examination but only 243 were captured.
“We encountered technical issues to match attendance.
“We have 243 candidates for the morning examination. The Centre is perfect with CBT, well organised and candidates calm,” Zaka said.
Another supervisor at the Announciation Secondary School, who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that problem of thump print was encountered.
The supervisor explained that a candidate’s thump print could not be captured, noting that the matter had been reported to the headquarters to ascertain the cause.
Some candidates were late to the examination centres.
Security personnel were on ground at the centres to ensure law and order.
Mrs Joy Onu, a Parent hailed the use of computer for the examinations and urged for more centres in Ebonyi, especially in the rural communities.
Dr Nwani Ogbu, JAMB Proctor at Annunciation Secondary School, Kpirikpiri, Abakaliki Local government of Ebonyi, said that the examination was so far smooth.
Ogbu, who is also a lecturer at the Ebonyi State University said that the centre accommodated 250 candidates for each batch.
According to him, the conduct is being done batch by batch and so far it has been smooth.
“In the first batch, five candidates were absent out of the 250 meant to sit for the examination but so far it has been smooth,” he said.
Meanwhile, some candidates for the Examination in Abakaliki, have called for creation of more centres in the state.
At the Ebonyi State University, Computer Based Centre 1 and 2, a candidate, Mercy Onwe, said that the creation of more centres would go a long way in making the examination stress free.
