Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) announced on Saturday that it has suspended or delisted 116 Computer Based Test (CBT) centres for allegedly aiding and abating examination malpractices in the just concluded nationwide Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Out of the number, 18 CBT centres were sanctioned by the Governing Board of JAMB, and was handed one to three year suspension for registration related misconduct

JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who disclosed the information in Abuja on Saturday, said that JAMB and the CBT centre operators meet periodically to get acquainted with the processes, but in spite of that many CBT centre operators still chose to violate the rules and regulations guiding the exercise.

The Registry commended CBT centres that complied with the rules of engagement, assuring them that they will continue to enjoy the support of JAMB.

He confirmed that JAMB has paid centres not implicated in the scandal, including those who were later found to have committed one infraction or the other.

“It is our policy never to put our partners who had contributed to our success through the pains of waiting for what we consider as their legitimate right, just because we do not want some criminal centres to be unduly rewarded,” he said.

Meanwhile, JAMB said that accreditation of CBT centres ends on 30th of December of the preceding year of UTME, and all existing centres must be revalidated one month after the examination.

He insisted that any centre not confirmed as suitable one month after the examination shall have its access code withdrawn.

Oloyede also disclosed that examination towns shall be expanded in order to guard against collusion, and there would no longer be approval for CBT centres in secondary schools except they belongs to the institution and the administrator is the principal.

He advised candidates to ensure that they retrieve their registration template from CBT centres at the end of the registration exercise.