TheCable

Is-haq Oloyede, registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), spent the night in his office at the headquarters of the board in preparation for the Unified  Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) mock examination holding on Saturday.

Fabian Benjamin, spokesman of the board, disclosed this in an interview with reporters.

He also urged the public to disregard the rumour that the mock examination had been cancelled.

“We are good to go for the mock examination, we are on top of the situation. We are just waiting for the time,” he said.

“We all slept in the office, the registrar/chief executive slept in the office. He was the first person to sleep before all of us joined.”

Benjamin also directed computer based test (CBT) centres not to collect money from candidates who would be sitting for the mock exam which will take place across the nation.

He said the board had reversed the decision to charge candidates N700 for the examination, and now sees the as its corporate social responsibility (CSR).

“The UTME mock examination is now free. In consideration of our corporate social responsibility, we felt that we should also be doing something for the candidates,” he said.

“Basically, that is it and there was no pressure from any quarters. The JAMB management just felt that should be part of our CSR.

“The UTME Mock examination is taking place as scheduled, the public should disregard the rumour about its cancellation. We sent information earlier enough that candidates should not pay N700:00 for the mock exam.

“In the event of any candidate paying, we will ensure refund. We have also instructed the CBT centres not to collect money from any candidate. But if they do, further instruction will get to them and definitely, the money will be returned to the candidates.”