A candidate in the ongoing 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), in Oyo state, Miss Fathia Moyosore Balogun has been denial access to write the examination in the center where she suppose to sit for the examination.
The reason for Balogun’s ordeal was due to the failure of the thumb print reader (machine) to recognise her finger. Miss Balogun who registered for the examination at the University of Ibadan CBT centre located at Awo Hall was seen crying while her mates were writing the examination at the Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre, located along the Sango-Eleyele Road, Ibadan, the Oyo state capital on Thursday.
It was gathered that Balogun whose registration number reads, 97199070BJ with examination number C61802155 and seat number 155 was billed to enter the examination hall at 9.am on Thursday. The examination suppose to last for two hours.
But, Balogun was however seen crying profusely at at Esther Oshinkoya CBT centre some minutes before 12.pm while she was suppose to be rounding up for the examination. Balogun who said that she don’t know what responsible for her ordeal, added that she was surprised that the machine could not recognise her finger.
She said that she was surprised that the machine could not recognise her after she forfeited one of her papers in the ongoing West African Examination Council (WAEC) due to the fact that the WAEC paper clashed with UTME as she appealed to the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the body responsible for the conduct of the examination to have mercy on her.
“I registered for the examination at UI CBT centre at Awo Hall. The machine recognised my finger and not it did not. I don’t know what caused it. JAMB should consider me. I am crying, I don’t know what to do”.
Her guidance, Mr. Abdullahi Akingbade who said that he was the one that registered Balogun at UI CBT centre in Awo Hall, however appealed to JAMB to rescheduled her for another time.
Akingbade said, “As we are now, it is unfortunate that, when they were trying to verify, they could not recognise her. She was not allowed because the machine could not recognise her finger. And because it is part of JAMB regulations that once one is not recognised, they will not allow the person. That is the problem we have with her now.
“We are just appealing to JAMB to assist her. I can’t say it it the problem of JAMB or the candidate. I think the problem is the device they are using. Because, the same device they used to capture her finger print is the same they are using now. So, why will the device not recognise her now. So, I don’t know what. I think it is the problem with the device they are using.
“So, I am just appealing to JAMB that she should be rescheduled for another time. You can she that she is crying presently while her colleagues are writing the examination. And she had prepared very well for it. So, it is very unfortunate. I am a teacher and guardian as well”.
A JAMB official, Dr. O.J. Ezekiel identified server failure as one of the challenges militating against the conduct of the examination in the center. He however said that all efforts made by the officials to ensure that the machine recognise Balogun’s finger proved abortive.
Ezekiel said, “All I know is that for each session, we have 250 students. We have three sessions per day. We have 750 candidates per day. No power failure, but in the morning session, we have server failure. Later it was resolved by the technical man.
“I don’t know, but according to JAMB, whoever that is unable to thumb print should not enter the hall because the person can be terned as impersonator in the examination. Once you thumb print, the thing will show your face so that the officer will know that this is the candidate. The right candidate, she is unable to do that and not qualified to be in the examination hall. I think she has to re-do the thing continuously for 30 minutes after the start of the examination”.
The examination was going on without any complain at the Educational Advancement Centre (EAC) CBT centre in Bodija and other CBT centres visited by our correspondent.
EAC JAMB administrator, Mr. Gbenga Adebambo, added that the major challenge they are facing is that some of the students could not operate the computers.
He said, “JAMB suppose to run from 11 to 17 of this month. We are suppose to have three batches in a day. Each batch has 250. The last day which is 17, we suppose to have one batch in the morning.
“Security is perfectly okay here. We have security officials and we have our own security officials. We have NSCDC officials. JAMB is working with NSCDC. For now, things are going on well. We have not had any fault from the students. One of the major challenge is that some of the students cannot operate the computers. Sometime, we need to out them through. Everything has been perfectly okay”.
The 2019 UTME which started on Thursday all over the country, is being held in thirty-two approved Computer Based Test (CBT) centers across the state.
