JAMB: Absence of CBT centre in Funtua

Funtua local government is the second largest LGA in Katsina state in terms of population and concentration of secondary schools both public and private; this is in addition to School of Basic and Remedial Studies (SBRS), ABU-Funtua. Each year thousands of students seek admissions through JAMB from Funtua and its neighboring LGAs. The local government […]

Funtua local government is the second largest LGA in Katsina state in terms of population and concentration of secondary schools both public and private; this is in addition to School of Basic and Remedial Studies (SBRS), ABU-Funtua. Each year thousands of students seek admissions through JAMB from Funtua and its neighboring LGAs. The local government serves as an examination center for LGAs such as Sabuwa, Dandume, Faskari, Kankara, Bakori, Danja and even Malumfashi and Kafur.
The initiation of Computer-Based Test (CBT) which is aimed at ensuring efficient administration of examination, improving test security, eradication of examination malpractice and increasing computer awareness which helps in improving the quality and standard of education in Nigeria is believed to be a right decision.
But the growing concern particularly among Funtua community remains largely the inability of JAMB to provide adequate centers in the town. This has been translated to mean that the Board is grossly ill-prepared because it fails to approve a single CBT-centre in the semi-urban city.
In a bid to further assist the Board in providing CBT centres, Katsina state government built and equipped seven CBT centres across the state with Funtua having its own share. However, other private operators came up with the idea of establishing centres and this brings the number of prospective CBT centres to three but none of them is functional. The centres are; Zonal Quality Assurance Office, Funtua, A.B.U School of Basic and Remedial Studies, Funtua and Muslim Community School of Health Technology, Funtua.
In view of the above, Funtua Consultative Forum is seriously disturbed on why the centres were not accredited since last year despite fulfilling all the requirements set out for the establishment of CBT centre.
The questions are, why Funtua, the senatorial Headquarters of Katsina South Senatorial Zone which comprises 11 LGAs would be denied CBT centre by the state JAMB office? Why none of the three centres mentioned above is yet to be approved? This is in spite of a visit paid by inspection team of the Board which found some of the prospective centres ready for the commencement of examination, but, Katsina State JAMB Coordinator/Registrar is yet to give approval to any of the centres.
As a result of this, our sons and daughters were exposed to untold hardship in seeking for centres to sit for exam. Some travel for about 500kms to write the exam, hence, the need to distribute the CBT centres fairly across the state.
Therefore, Funtua Consultative Forum calls for the urgent attention of the JAMB Registrar to launch investigation into the matter with a view to ameliorating the indescribable hardship deliberately meted against our children. The Forum hopes that all the centres would be approved.
Umar Saidu Imam is the Publicity Secretary, Funtua Consultative Forum