UTME: JAMB Revokes Accreditation of 14 CBT Centres * Over 157,000 write mock exams

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  Registrar, Prof.
Ishaq Oloyede,  who announced this in
Abuja on Monday 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 will 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 members 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 said

The 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.