UTME: JAMB orders arrest of parents found near CBT centres 

Admits over 577 visually-impaired candidates
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has directed all Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre owners to arrest any parent, found near any of their facilities during the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which begins today.

Meanwhile, Chairman of JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), Prof Peter Okebukola, disclosed that 577 visually-impaired candidates are set to take the test in 11 centres nationwide.

A statement, yesterday, in Abuja by JAMB Spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, noted that the directive was issued at the final briefing of the CBT centre owners, held virtually, on Wednesday.

Benjamin said the directive became necessary following the intrusive disposition of some parents during previous exercises.

The statement quoted the JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, as warning that any parent, who disobeys the order, would not only be arrested but their ward would also be disqualified from the examination.

“This measure is necessary, as it has been discovered, over time, that many of these intruding parents are facilitators of examination infractions, while others have, by their actions, disrupted the board’s examinations in the past. Some miscreants also disguise as parents to infiltrate the centres to perpetrate all forms of infractions.

“Consequently, the registrar disclosed that the board has directed security operatives to work with the centres to apprehend any meddlesome parent, who come near the centres,” the statement reads.

Oloyede reportedly noted that going by the extant national policy on education, a candidate for the examination must have attained the age of 17 years.

He added: “Therefore, it is evident that these parents had not allowed their wards to pass through the classes as defined in the document; hence, the determination to follow their wards to the examination venue to compromise examination officials. At any rate, it is clear to any discerning observer that these parents deserve to be sanctioned, as they had obviously ‘smuggled’ underage children into the ranks of those scheduled to sit for the examination.”

Further, the Registrar said all arrangements had been concluded for the conduct of the 2024 UTME, which will be held in over 700 CBT centres across the nation.

He disclosed that the board expects a seamless exercise, as it made adequate provision to tackle any technical glitch that might occur during the examination.

OLOYEDE set up JEOG in 2017 for effective handling of blind candidates and others with special needs.

According to Okebukola, this year and for the first time, JAMB, through JEOG, will implement the bimodal system of UTME administration.

“This involves Fully-Braille and Fully Read-Aloud. Candidates have a choice of mode. JEOG has been resourced by JAMB to make the experience of the two modes of test administration pleasant for the candidates.

“With 577 blind candidates, the 2024 UTME presents the highest number. We had 348 in 2022, and 313 in 2023. The 2024 increase is largely due to increased advocacy by JEOG, a process which will be bolstered in the coming years,” he said.

Okebukola, who is also the President of the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi-Africa), described the JAMB Registrar as one of the strongest pillars of equal opportunity of access to higher education in Africa.

He said: “In the last four days, I have conferred with members of GUNi-Africa on how blind candidates aspiring for higher education in Africa are treated in their countries and all are in agreement that Nigeria, through Oloyede, stands clearly out as the best.”