By Senator Iroegbu in Abuja
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has made on the spot assessment visit to some Computer Based Test (CBT) centres within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that will be used for the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Adamu, who was accompanied by the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, stressed the need for unscheduled visits to carry out inspections on some of the CBT centres. He said this is especially important for those that encountered problems last year within the FCT to certify the standard of their facilities.
The minister recalled that in 2017, several problems came up ranging from power failure to poor network coverage, devices tripping off, among others, due to the low standard of the facilities. These he said was a setback on the system.
He also pointed out that some CBT centres extorted their poor unsuspecting candidates, while some tutorial centres that had CBT centres went to any length, legitimate or not, to get and keep their customers with fraudulent acts, all of which posed a great concern for him.
“In a bid to avoid all these problems, curb fraudulent practices and examination malpractice, an impromptu inspection was required to enable the ministry and the board know the true state of things and also make proper corrections and provisions where necessary,” he said.
The minister and his team also inspected the e-library and CBT centre of the Global Centre for Distance Learning, at the Central Business District of the FCT, from where he proceeded to the Digital Bridge Institute, Utako.
Following a round section of inspection and interactions with some potential candidates in the process of registration, the minister expressed his satisfaction. “I have just been to two centres today and I think they are both very functional. I am indeed very happy and satisfied just as the students are satisfied.”
Adamu also advised and encouraged students and exam candidates to embrace computer literacy and also utilize the CBT centres in the course of preparations prior to the actual exam day.
Hopefully, he added, these series of impromptu inspections would make all other CBT centres put in more efforts to improving the standard of their facilities, and the problems encountered in the past would gradually become a thing of the past.
