Former presidential candidate in the 2023 election under the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has called on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to adopt a compassionate approach in handling its services to students, following the blacklisting of several accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in Anambra State.
In a post on his official X handle on Friday, Obi said he recently encountered a large crowd of students outside the JAMB office in Amawbia, Anambra State, with some even sitting on the fence. Upon speaking with them, he learned they were there to make changes to their course or institution choice services, which are ordinarily available at CBT centres.
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“While passing through Amawbia, in Anambra State, recently, I noticed a large crowd of students gathered outside the JAMB office – some even perched precariously on the fence. The scene was striking and may likely be the same in some other states across the country. Troubled by what I saw, I stopped to speak with a few of the students,’’ he said.
‘’They explained that they were there to make changes to their course or institution choices. I found this surprising, as such services are ordinarily processed at JAMB-designated CBT centres. When I inquired why they weren’t using those centres, their response was disheartening: most of the CBT centres had stopped offering the service, leaving them with few or no alternatives. ”
Obi said most of these centres had stopped offering the service after being blacklisted by JAMB, forcing students to travel long distances to the state office.
Out of 28 approved centres in the state, he noted, 17 have been blacklisted, with many of them unaware of the specific reasons except being told they were “under investigation.
He lamented that the development had caused financial and emotional strain for students, some of whom had made up to five unsuccessful trips before being attended to. A service that should cost about ₦1,500, he added, now costs as much as ₦15,000 at the JAMB office, including unofficial fees.
“Further investigation revealed that out of 28 JAMB-approved centres ( CBTs)in Anambra State, 17 have been blacklisted. Sadly, many of the affected centres were not even informed of the specific reasons behind this action. The explanation given was the vague phrase: “under investigation. ”
“The consequences of this are far-reaching. Students are now forced to travel long distances, sometimes from remote parts of the state, just to access basic services at the JAMB state office. “From my interaction with the students, I learnt that many have made up to five unsuccessful trips before being attended to. What is more troubling is the sharp increase in the cost of processing these changes: a service that should ordinarily cost around ₦1,500 at accredited centres now costs up to ₦15,000 at the JAMB office – often padded by unofficial fees. ”
The former Anambra governor warned that the situation risks derailing the academic prospects of many young Nigerians, especially as some universities have already begun post-UTME screening. urging JAMB to allow the affected centres to continue offering services under close monitoring until investigations are concluded.
Source: Channels TV
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