The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, says 869,709 candidates have registered for the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, which is scheduled to hold in March.
It also disclosed that nine Computer-Based Test centres that breached the code governing the 2019 registration exercise have been suspended.
This was contained in the board’s weekly bulletin from the office of the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.
Some of the centres were said to have demanded fees above the amounts stipulated by the Federal Government.
The bulletin listed the nine suspended centres as the University of Benin International ICT Centre, Iyayi, Benin, Edo State; Mardakem Limited by Methodist Boys High School, Oron, Akwa-Ibom State; Bintels Global Services, Aguleri, Anambra State; Noble and Shuaib ICT limited, Alor, Anambra State; Global ICT Connect, Makurdi, Benue State; DA Civic Centre, Benin City, Edo State; Medes ICT Centre, Okitipupa, Ondo State; Divine Success All CBT Centre, Iseyin, Oyo State; Riyom ICT Centre, Riyom Secretariat, Plateau State.
It explained that all the CBT operators had met in Lagos before the registration exercise for 2019 UTME and Direct Entry began, and that the guidelines on the exercise were deliberated upon and laid out strictly for all to adhere to.
The meeting, according to the bulletin, had resolved that the cost of registration should not exceed N700.
“Unfortunately, findings from the board’s monitoring exercise revealed that some centres were charging higher than the stipulated figure directed by the Federal Government and equally agreed at during the Lagos meeting.”
Also, the board revealed that 10 more centres in Lagos and Plateau states were still under investigation for the same offences.
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A breakdown of registration shows Lagos State recording the highest number of registered candidates, with 111,102 candidates, followed by Kaduna State with 59,261 candidates and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, which has 43,390 registered candidates.
Others are Oyo with 41,128 candidates; Benue, 36,080; Nasarawa, 35,940; Rivers, 35,749, and Ogun with 32,702 candidates.
Jigawa, Sokoto and Zamfara, had the lowest numbers with 6,784; 4,881 and 2,427 candidates respectively.
