Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has proposed immediate measures to ease the ongoing registration challenges faced by students at Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) centres, warning that no candidate should suffer due to systemic failures.
He noted that many candidates, some traveling from distant villages, faced the risk of missing the examination not because of lack of preparation, but due to administrative bottlenecks.
To address the situation, the former Anambra Governor suggested that JAMB centres under investigation could be allowed to operate under strict supervision, ensuring students can register without unnecessary delays.
In a statement issued on Monday, he emphasized that temporary measures, such as using previously approved centres under close monitoring, could help alleviate congestion while maintaining compliance with regulations.
Obi stressed that the government and JAMB authorities must act swiftly and compassionately, warning that students should not bear the consequences of systemic failures.
He called for urgent intervention to ensure that no young person’s academic future is jeopardized due to administrative lapses, emphasizing that the focus should be on solutions rather than assigning blame.
According to the statement, “Last year, concerns were raised about the hardship students faced at various centres across the country, particularly at the Amawbia, Anambra State, office of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, following the proscription of several CBT centres over alleged infractions. The expectation was that corrective measures would follow. 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.
“While authorities may have valid reasons for sanctioning centres, a more balanced and humane 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.
“With registration ending on the 26th, the consequences are serious. 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.
“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.
