UTME: JAMB Revokes Accreditation of 14 Centres

UTME: JAMB Revokes Accreditation of 14 Centres

Over 157,000 write mock exams

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has sanctioned 14 computer- based (CBT) centres by revoking their accreditation due to sundry breaches in the terms of agreement, including alleged deceit and borrowing of computers without the consent of the board.

JAMB’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who announced this in Abuja, yesterday during an inspection of the facilities in one of the centres, with the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said the board had earlier said it would register all the computers that would be used in the conduct of the 2019 exercise to enable it detect any form of malpractice.

While stating that mock examination is free in JAMB- owned centres as the board is testing the systems, he reiterated that the mock examinations, which are voluntary and will not in any way add marks to the actual exercise, has over 157,000 candidates writing it, out of over 1.8 million who registered for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME)

He expressed outrage over the attack on two of the board’s workers and assured that investigations are on towards unraveling what transpired, as the affected staff have been taken to the hospital.

He said: “We have had to disaccredit CBT centres this morning for one infraction or the other. Now, we have about 698 centres out of the 712. All over the country, only one centre is not ready for the examination and we are working on it.

“Initially, we said we will have one session of the examination but we have distributed the candidates to other centres; so, some centres will have two sessions. Private centres are entitled to their N700 for their expenses.

“Two of our staff were nearly murdered. We have sent a rescue team and they have been taken to the hospital. We are still investigating what transpired but we have evacuated our staff from the place,” he saidThe Minister of Education in his observation, said the board was ready for the 2019 UTME and urged owners of CBT centres to adhere to the instruction of JAMB, saying perpetrators of examination malpractice will be punished severely.

The mock test is being conducted mainly to test-run facilities at the various accredited centres nationwide, as well as familiarise candidates with the process.

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