JOS (Sundiata Post) – Hundreds of candidates were stranded at various centres of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) being conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) as the board rescheduled the examination in some centres in Bauchi State twice within 72 hours.
Sundiata Oost gathered that the students who were supposed to take the examination at the various centres in the state on Monday had travelled to Bauchi on Sunday to avoid any delay in their arrival at the various centres.
However, some of them were disappointed that as early as 7 am on Monday when they were about to go their centres, they received text messages from JAMB telling them that their examination had been rescheduled to today, Wednesday 17.
Some of them, especially those from Jos, and who lodged in various hotels, had to endure another excruciating two-days wait to take the examination.
But their exasperation reached high pitch on Wednesday when they received another text message on Wednesday morning telling them that the examination has again been rescheduled to Thursday.
One of the candidates, who was earlier scheduled to take the examination at Presentation Brothers Secondary School, Tafawa Balewa local government area of Bauchi state on Monday, May 15, was asked to wait until Wednesday, May 17 to take the examination, this time at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Yelwa Campus.
He said that yet on Wednesday, he received another text telling him his examination had been rescheduled to Thursday May 18.
The candidate, who preferred anonymity said, “I arrived Bauchi last Sunday from Jos to take the examination on Monday, but I received a text on Monday morning telling me that it has been rescheduled to Wednesday. I have to endure the two days wait only to receive another shocker that I will stay here again today to take the examination tomorrow (Thursday)”
He expressed regret that JAMB did not communicate to him as to the reason for their action.
Spokesperson for JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said that he was yet to be told the reason for the rescheduling.
Meanwhile more than 500 candidates have missed the examination at the various centres in Jos.
Our correspondent, who visited the Jos office of the board, observed the candidates who besieged the office to know their.
In a register opened for them to write down their names and phone numbers, it was discovered that more than 500 names have been written down.
Some of them gave various reasons for why they missed the exam. One of them, who identified himself as Muhammed, said that he was scheduled to take the examination last Sunday, but he travelled and was not able to check the dates for the examination.
On what becomes of their fate, Benjamin said that JAMB has nothing to do with such candidates.
He said, “We have nothing to do with that. We only reschedule examination when the fault is from us”.