13th May, 2017
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Saturday said that late coming to any examination centre after the commencement of the exercise is examination malpractice.
The Head, Media and Information of the board, Dr Fabian Benjamin said this in an interview in Lagos.
Benjamin was speaking against the backdrop of appeal made by some candidates who arrived their centres for the examination about one hour behind schedule on Saturday to allow them participate.
Five candidates had arrived late at the WAEC International Office centre in Ikeja, hoping to write the examination, even after their session (7.am) had rounded off.
The candidates gave distance to centre, late printing of examination slip and excessive sleeping as reasons for their lateness.
All the candidates’ appeals to the centre supervisor to allow them into the hall for the examination were to no avail.
The centre supervisor, Mr Oji Sunday, said there was nothing he could do to assist the candidates as their session was already over.
“Right now, there is nothing I can do to help these candidates because the session is already over.
“We have finished taking attendance and even given a grace of about 30 minutes to others coming a bit behind schedule, considering the peculiar terrain of this city.
“So, for these candidates to come here now and be giving these kind of excuses as reasons for their coming here just when we are about to end the first session is something that is way beyond me.
“Again, I do not want to do anything that would attract any form of disciplinary action against me by the board, for going contrary to set rules and regulation of an examination of this magnitude,” Sunday stated.
When contacted, Benjamin, the media officer of JAMB, told NAN on telephone that every examination had its rules and regulations, which must be adhered to.
According to him, any candidate who knows his or her onions should not advance such excuses as reasons for going to a centre for an examination that is being conducted once every year.
He noted that such excuses were flimsy and not believable, considering the fact that enough sensitisation was carried out on the processes of the examination well ahead, including the examination details.
“There is nothing we can do, at least for now, to assist them because they were all duly communicated about the examination procedure, as well as their examination details.
“In the first place, coming to any examination centre late is already seen as malpractice.
“We do not want to encourage this because some of these candidates are very smart and you may not truly tell where they have been to that made them get to their examination centres late.
“In this case, whatever the centre supervisor decides is final, because he is the person on ground and fully in charge,” Benjamin said.
He described this year’s examination as the most stress-free and transparent examination in his 15 years with the board.
“I am indeed happy with the general conduct of the examination today.
“Reports reaching us from various parts of the country say the exercise is seamless and very peaceful.
“Everything is going on well as anticipated with full complement of security.
“We have a central camera where we are monitoring every activity cut across the 642 centres nationwide.
“It is indeed the best Computer Based Test (CBT) UTME ever conducted by the board since inception,” he said.
The Head, Lagos Zonal Coordinator of JAMB, Mr Sunday Aladegbaye, said that he was impressed with the conduct of the examination in the state.
“I am impressed with the conduct of the examination in the various centres cut across the state.
“We are using a total of 65 centres in Lagos and I am happy with conduct of the examination in each of the centres.
“Right now, I am at Ikorodu monitoring the examination and I am satisfied with every development,” he said.
The examination would be concluded on May 20.