By CLEMENT IDOKO, Abuja

The Joint Administrations and Matriculation Board has announced a fresh option for prospective candidates with genuine complaints of failed attempt to register for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry even as the Board forecloses further registration extension.

According to the Board all prospective candidates with genuine proof(s) of failed efforts to register before the closing date, are to between Monday 31st May and 15th June 2021, visit any of the JAMB offices (including JAMB owned Professional Test Centres, PTCs) across the nation to obtain and complete the registration forms.

Spokesperson of the Board, Dr Fabian Benjamin, conveyed this in a statement made available to newsmen, on Monday, saying the Board was desirous of availing every prospective candidate the opportunity to still participate in the 2021 registration exercise.

He revealed that a total of 1,375,694 candidates have successfully registered for the 2021 UTME and DE as of May 29 registration closing date.

Recall that the Board had on Saturday 15th May 2021, after a meeting with critical stakeholders as well as in response to the pressure from public-spirited individuals and groups, announced a two (2) week extension of the registration period of 2021 UTME/DE from Saturday 15th to Saturday 29th May 2021.

“Regrettably, from the time of extension, the number of registrants fell drastically until towards the new closing date. On the new closing day (29th May 2021), One million, three hundred and eighty-three thousand, four hundred and twenty (1,383, 420) candidates procured the Pin for registration, while One million, three hundred and seventy-five thousand, six hundred and ninety-four (1,375,694) have completed their registration,” Benjamin said.

He said despite this, there were still complaints of inability to register due to lateness or non-delivery of National Identitification Number (NIN) verification code; inability to obtain NIN; mismatch or wrong names originally submitted to NIMC and different from the ones being used for the JAMB registration among other issues.

He said while very few of such excuses have been found to be genuine, “a large number is traceable to fraudsters who are hell-bent in subverting the system and bypassing the well thought out decision of the Federal Government to make NIN a requirement for JAMB registration”.

He noted that as a result of time constraints within the window available to JAMB on the Annual National Examinations Timetable, further extension of the registration period is not feasible.

He said: “Nevertheless, the Board is desirous of availing every prospective candidate the opportunity to still participate in the 2021 registration exercise.

“Consequently, all prospective candidates with genuine proof(s) of failed efforts to register before the closing date, are to between Monday 31st May and 15th June 2021, visit any of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board offices (including JAMB owned Professional Test Centres, PTCs) across the nation to:

“Obtain at no cost, and complete a Form which is being made available to candidates with genuine reasons for missing the registration.

“Submit (for the Reading Test and the Application), a certified Bank Draft of N4,000 only in favour of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board – JAMB (and obtain a signed duplicate copy from the office).

“Submit the completed form with a recent passport photograph at the same office of collection.

“Collect a copy of the Reading Test and await further directives through the registered phone number and Public Service Announcement through 9 pm NTA Network NEWS as soon as the screening is completed,” he said.

He insisted that there was no registration for 2021 UTME/DE without a properly obtained NIN which has to be verified/validated by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

The Board warned that anyone who submits another application after having successfully registered during the earlier registration period would have the two attempts disqualified, while any false claim would attract severe sanctions, including forfeiture of the deposited Bank Draft, cancellation of application(s) and prosecution.

“Due to the fact that some parents and school proprietors have been found to mislead candidates for illicit gains and personal aggrandisement, the Board advises all to allow each candidate to personally go through the process.

“JAMB does not tolerate the involvement of any third party or group in the registration process,” the Board said. (Nigerian Tribune)

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