Hundreds of applicants for the 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in Lagos and Ogun states were left stranded and frustrated at some centers on Friday morning due to a downpour and a system problem.
With 1.7 million applicants registered, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board-organized examination began in 750 approved centers around the country.
Candidates scheduled for the first session at 7 a.m. in Lagos and Ogun were largely affected by system glitches and rain.
Over 200 candidates in Ogun were unable to write the annual exam due to technical challenges, according to one of the candidates.
Oba Timilehin, the candidate, said he arrived early at Mountain Top University in Ogun State’s Abeokuta South Local Government Area but was unable to sit for the examination.
“The first batch, which was due to start at 7 a.m., ate into our time,” he explained. When the second batch, at 10 a.m., wanted to begin, the officials said the network was down and we couldn’t take the exam.
“The glitch, according to the center, was caused by JAMB, and the entire process was disrupted.” My batch included up to 240 people, and we all failed the exam.”
A parent of a candidate who was unable to take the exam owing to technological difficulties also told our correspondent that some angry parents threatened to burn down the center.
“Candidates wept profusely after missing a full year,” he said. They were heartbroken. Last year, the same thing happened, and they had to wait a year. This occurred in the year 2022.
A group of candidates was also observed anxiously seeking aid after missing the test at the WAEC Test and Training Centre, one of the certified examination centers in the Ogba neighborhood of Lagos, according to the Nigerian News Agency.
The Wisdom House Centre, off Yaya Abatan in Ogba, Command Secondary School Ipaja, and Lagooz Schools Orile-Agege centres were all in the same boat.
Along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, NAN also visited Timeon Kairos Polytechnic and Professional Institute, Ile-Epo.
The examination began at 8:30 a.m., according to one of the WTTC center supervisors who did not want her name published.
“We were intended to begin the test at 8 a.m., but due to the rain, we had to extend the time by 30 minutes.”
“Out of the 250 capacity benchmark for each of these centres, we have over 240 candidates in both centre one and two,” she said.
“It is sad that this has happened,” JAMB’s spokesman, Dr Fabian Benjamin, remarked in response to the suffering of the applicants who missed the examination due to the rain. We will not be able to reschedule the examination due to technical issues.
“For example, if something happened to a center as a whole, or if a technical failure occurred in a center, that is comprehensible, and the board could begin to contemplate a route out.”
“However, in the event that certain applicants for a given examination attempted the examination and others did not, for whatever reason, that examination will not be rescheduled.”
“We do not reschedule examinations; they have already taken place.” Every examination follows a set of regulations, and ours is no exception,” Benjamin explained.
The UTME, which began on Monday, will be held in numerous sessions everyday at approved centers until May 14.
