Stress, frustration accompany 2017 JAMB/UTME registration process

The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB)
as headed by Prof. Is-haq Olarenwaju Oloyede has
introduced a very cumbersome process of registering
candidates for the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation
Examination (UTME). This process is unlike what was on
ground before where over 600 e-registration centres
were in use throughout the federation. The centres are
now reduced to just about 240.
Even the previous arrangement with over 600 e-
registration points was not without lots of bottlenecks
due to the overwhelming number of students seeking
various admissions into tertiary institutions of learning.
Then most applicants and the parents/ guardians had
expected an improvement on what was on ground, but
the Oloyede-led team reduced the centres to just 240,
thereby multiplying the problems.

JAMB candidates
Unlike what has been going on in the past when
candidates were made to complete their registration
through various accredited cyber cafes spread across
the 36 states and Abuja, candidates are now made to
cluster around very few CBT Centres to complete their
registration with full biometrics.
Instead of making payments and fill the form from one
point as was done previously, this new experience
requires candidates to go through the rigour of first,
generating their Remitta codes from a cyber cafe and
then go queue up in banks to make payment for forms
where their profiles and pins for registration will be
generated. After these long processes which usually
takes about one full day or two, the real problem begins
as they will now have to go to the approved CBT Centres
which are very limited in number to queue up for days
before filling the forms online and then do their thumb
printing.
The centralization of the registration centres which now
requires candidates from more than two local
governments to register around just one CBT centre is
creating serious bottlenecks, pains and frustrations as
candidates who have already made their payments in the
bank are compelled to queue up under the scorching sun
for days just to complete a simple registration process
that a simple mobile app can achieve through smart
phones in less than 10 minutes from the comfort of
their homes.
One cannot help wondering how in today’s world that is
highly driven by technology, the JAMB team are still
groping in the dark. Under the current JAMB leadership a
supposedly “improved automated system” is now running
slower than manual and also taking us back to our days
in the 80s when every candidate in Lagos State had to
go queue up at the Millverton Road office of “almighty
JAMB” to buy hard copies of the form amidst fighting,
tips, lobbying and even briberies. This situation
underscores the necessity of the use or appreciation of
technology by many public office holders in Nigeria
today.
In today’s world, computer illiteracy is an unpardonable
offence and I am of the opinion that before any
appointments are made into public offices, candidates
selected should be screened to ensure adequate
computer literacy, appreciation and competence to be
able to ascertain their preparedness to use technology in
driving service delivery.
If we really want Nigeria to make progress sensitive
public offices must be truly professionalized and in
addition to whatever qualifications that appointees may
passes, computer literacy and proficiency be made a
compulsory criteria.
It is very shameful that in this dispensation our children
are made to queue up under the scorching sun just to
complete a registration process of JAMB that their
counterparts in other African countries achieves in
minutes with their smart phones from the comfort of
their homes. What a shame!!
Fred Omeri is a Lagos based public affairs commentator