Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to permit sanctioned Computer Based Test centres to continue operations under strict supervision, as the closure of multiple centres has triggered a registration crisis across the country.
Obi appealed in a statement posted on his verified X handle on Monday, reacting to the severe overcrowding and confusion at JAMB offices following the proscription of several CBT centres over alleged infractions.
The former Anambra State Governor specifically referenced the situation at the JAMB office in Amawbia, Anambra State, where he witnessed persistent crowds and disorganisation during two separate visits. “Sadly, as I passed there again last Friday, I met the same crowd and confusion. Upon further inquiry, I was informed that similar situations exist in some other states across Nigeria,” he said.
Obi acknowledged that JAMB may have valid reasons for sanctioning the centres, but argued that a more balanced approach is possible. “Centres under investigation could be allowed to continue offering limited services under strict monitoring to prevent further lapses. If it is difficult to approve new centres quickly, the authorities could still make temporary use of previously approved centres under close supervision to ease the pressure on state offices,” he suggested.
With JAMB registration set to close on 26 February, Obi warned that the stakes are high for thousands of candidates. “Many candidates travel from distant villages, some even sleeping in Awka, to secure access. If nothing urgent is done, some will miss the examination, not for lack of preparation, but because the system failed them,” he stated. “Students cannot be made to suffer the failings of a system to which we have all, in one way or another, contributed. What is required now is not blame, but swift and compassionate intervention to ensure that no young person’s future is jeopardised by avoidable administrative bottlenecks,” Obi concluded.
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