The Computer Based Text (CBT) of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) located at the Ihechukwu Madubuike Institute of Technology, Isuochi in Umunneochi LGA of Abia State did not conduct the JAMB examinations due to power failure.
It was indeed a sad day for candidates and their parents who had thronged the venue from all over the country to participate in the exercise conducted by the examination body nationwide on Friday.
The development became riotous as parents battled to no avail with the officials of the centre to get their children participate in the exams. The Coordinator of the centre, whose name was not immediately given, blamed the power failure on the generator that suddenly stopped operation as the exams began due to lack of fuel.
It was gathered that due to the power outage, the computers stopped operation and candidates were asked to wait until the gen set was refilled. A parent told our Reporter that even when the generator was refilled; it did not work again, prompting an exchange of words between the disappointed parents and owners of the CBT centre.
Our Reporter learnt that the exams were scheduled in batches. They were scheduled for: 7am to 9am, 9am to 11 am. Others were: 11am to 1pm and 1pm to 3pm respectively and that the problem as soon as the exercise commenced.
None of the exams was taken at Umunneochi LGA as the disappointed parents that waited from 6am to 4am rushed to the JAMB State Headquarters in Umuahia to lay their complaint.
Meanwhile, the Resident Monitor of CBT JAMB exams, Mrs Aramu Atinuke has called for calm, pointing that she had made a case to the JAMB Headquarters in Abuja for the rescheduling of the exercise in some parts of the state where the computers failed the candidates.
Mrs Aramu who is from the Federal Ministry of Education, assured that her request for the rescheduling of the exams would be granted, because according to her, it was obvious that the failure of the exams at Umunneochi and other places was as a result of system failure.
Some parents at the venue who expressed disappointment include: a former Commissioner in Abia State, Chief Ezebunwa Ubani, retired a Permanent Secretary in the state and Mrs Ifeyinwa Abiakam who pleaded with the federal government to scrap the computer based text, described it as a sure way of mortgaging the destiny of future leaders of this country.
Said Mrs Abiakam, “Some of these children have taken the exam more than five times; It’s another way of destroying their destinies. Some of these children would’ve been in higher institutions by now, but due to computer failures which are no fault of theirs, they’re forced to stay at home for up to five years”.
Uche Nwosu is a two time Shell Petroleum PLC award winner in the year 2000;
He won the Shell Award on Investigative Journalism and Environmental Cleanliness.
