Power outage, other hitches mar UTME

Power outages and computer connectivity setbacks are causing unnecessary delays at some centers of the computer based Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Also, a man was reportedly arrested in Imo state for allegedly attempting to write test for a girl. Candidates at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna Centre were delayed by one day due […]

Power outages and computer connectivity setbacks are causing unnecessary delays at some centers of the computer based Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Also, a man was reportedly arrested in Imo state for allegedly attempting to write test for a girl.
Candidates at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna Centre were delayed by one day due to computer connectivity hitches while unexpected power cuts at other centers also caused delays.
The computer test adopted by JAMB four years ago as against the paper and pencil testing is still facing challenges.
Candidates who sat for the examination said there were hitches slowing the process of the examination in most of the centers which range from poor capacity of the centers, power cuts and computer connectivity problems.
A candidate Chinedu Azubuike who wrote in one of the centres in Abuja said he was supposed to be in the examination hall by 6.30 for the exam to commence by 7.00 am. After making it to the centre around 5.00 am and sat for the examination, the computers failed connect and they were delayed.
He said the examination started after 9.00 am and they didn’t finish as was expected until past 12 noon for the examination that was supposed to last for 2 hours.
Another candidate that wrote in Nyanya Gwandara said capacity of the centre is an issue as two people were made to share a chair.
He said constant power outage also slowed the process of the examination. 
The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Registrar, Professor Dibu Ojerinde, said the incidences were not widespread and have been addressed.     
He said, “The issue of malpractice has reduced with the computer test but impersonation is a major problem; people want to come in and do the exams for others. However, the fingerprints of candidates are scanned at the entrance and their pictures appear on the computer and you can’t escape that. We caught some impersonators in Anambra or Imo State. They swapped seats, we saw a girl on the screen and man sitting.”
He said power outages experienced in some centers delayed the test while connectivity hitches at NDA delayed candidates by one day. “There was computer networking problem at NDA and candidates had to write the exams on Sunday.”  
Also commenting, Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Dikko Suleiman said the tests were administered in controlled centers and the testing centre staff provided good proctoring services.
He said “There was no chance for exams cheating because the computers are automatically controlled and monitored. And the computer stops at the end of the test. The exercise could not be hundred per cent perfect because we went to some place where the JAMB officials were not happy with the environmental cleanliness. The place does not meet high standard of cleanliness.”