System failure disrupts JAMB UTME in Kaduna

Persistent system failure characterised the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Danbo International School Kaduna.

Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who monitored the exercise in Kaduna on Thursday,  reports that the examination, which was supposed to last for two hours lasted for four hours at the centre.

750 students wrote the examination at the centre, with the first batch, made up of 250 candidates expected to write from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. but could not start until around 9:00 a.m. and finished around 12:00 p.m.

The second batch that was to commence at 10:00 a.m., could not do so until around 12:00 p.m. because all the computer systems tripped-off few minutes after commencement of the examination due to power cut.

Other systems were bad and had to be replaced with back up, while others kept going off at different intervals while the students were writing the examination.

One of the candidates, Akintola Isaac told NAN that his system tripped-off three times, adding that any time it tripped, he started all over again.

Akintola, who sat for the emanation for the second time, added that the consistent failure of the system did not allow him to finish the examination before he was asked to leave the hall.

“We barely commenced the examination when all the system in the hall went off. After getting them running again, my system tripped-off three times and it takes 10 to 20 minutes to get it working again.

“In the long run, I only finished two papers and was on the third one when I was asked to leave the hall that my time is up.

“When I complained to the JAMB officials and appealed to allow me write again, they told me there is nothing they can do.

Am still appealing to JAMB to give me another opportunity because it is not my fault,” he said.

Credit: NAN