From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
About 3,500 candidates, who sat for the post-UME examinations for admission into the University of Benin (UNIBEN), yesterday, may risk admission due to the sudden collapse of the institution’s servers.
The university, in a terse short messaging service (SMS), sent out, yesterday afternoon, directed the affected candidates, who came from all parts of the country to write the examination, to return to the university for another test.
“If you know anyone that wrote post UTME examination today, December 8, 2020 @ICT hall UGBOWO, tell the person to come back from any state or city he or she is. UNIBEN server failed applicants that wrote 9am and 10.30am. Authorities have tried their best to call some students but their phones were off. Tell your loved ones…,” the message on the university’s SMS platform read.
A source, who spoke to newsmen, said the university authorities might be economical with the truth as the servers collapsed for most part of yesterday.
“This is a major crisis. How do you get all the affected candidates to come back. What about those who came from the far North and other states to write the test? I wonder why the university management is acting as if the university is meant only for Benin people. If you ask the candidates to come back, who bears the cost? How do you handle the risks of travelling?” the source quarried.
The source suggested that the university authorities should find a means of “using the UME scores of the affected candidates and their SSCE results to get cumulative scores for the candidates. This is a university environment and we should be able to think outside the box,” the source said.
