By JOHN ONAH, Abuja –
The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), on Tuesday kick started the conduct of 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
A visit by our Correspondent to one of the centre in Abuja, the Global Distance Learning Institute, opposite Ministry of Finance, Central Business Area, Abuja at exactly 7:59am, showed that the candidates were already seated waiting for order to start.
However after an enquiry on why the candidates were still waiting for the exam, which ought to have started at 8:00am, an invigilator who simply gave his name as Rilwanu revealed that the time was shifted from 8 to 8:30 am and that they’re also waiting for the order from above.
According to the invigilator, the delay was not due to technical hitches but it was just to wait for instructions from JAMB so that the time would be in tandem with other centres.
Speaking with the newsmen at the centre, one of the Monitors that belong to the group of High Opinion Leader, Abdulrahaman Balogun, said so far he had been to several centres like Jikwoyi, Karu, AYA and Distance Learning Institute and it was a success story.
“This centre (Distance Learning Institute), supposed to have three sessions at 7, 9 and 11am respectfully. However, they have some delay, it was not due to technical hitches but just to get the go ahead from the JAMB”.
“From the record, the first session in this centre supposed to have 200 candidates but 183 we accredited, 16 absentee and 1 unverified. As you can see, tbe second batch is already waiting. In all, we have close to 99 percent success in orderliness, arrangements, everything is percent, he said.
Speaking on the parents perching around the examination centre, Balogun said that parents will continue to be parents, noting that as far as they are not interfering with the exam, they have their rights to stay outside the centres as some of them cite security as reasons.
On some preachers distributing bibles around the centre, Balogun frowned at the act descring it as being wrong.
“Remember the issue of a candidate wearing Hijab during mock examination at the Convenant school. A security stopped her from a centre that was meant for every candidates.
“We should not engage in some activities that will aggravate other religious groups to want to do something. They’re not writing on bible knowledge, they can go to their schools and distribute the bible and not examination centres, he added.
