The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), on Thursday said it had yet to commence the ‘Change of Course or Correction of Data’ for candidates who sat for the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The organisation was reacting to reports reaching its Headquarters in Abuja that a large crowd of candidates who wished to effect such changes had on Wednesday besieged its Lagos office.

But the spokesperson of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, in a statement issued in Jos, the Plateau State capital, said the development had therefore “created unnecessary anxiety and chaos where there should be none.”

He said: “This announcement became necessary following the crowd in our offices demanding for such services. The request for correction of data is usually from candidates who provided wrong information while filling their application document online.

“The change of institutions is basically for those who are considering other preferences other than their initial choices and were mislead to believe that the board has started such services and will soon closed.

“We want to make it clear that when we open the window for correction of data and change of course, we will do an elaborate sensitisation on it and we shall continue with the services until the commencement of admission process.

“Let us again assure all candidates desirous of carrying out the correction of data or change of institution that the board will ensure that enough time is given for them to do so.

“Again, it will be good to also let these candidates and other stakeholders know that the board has not finished the conduct of the 2017 UTME. The Board was still conducting examinations for those who had registered late and those who could not be verified during examination and as such it will be unfair to them to open window for such correction and changes at the same time.

“Our reforms are meant to make our services accessible to all conveniently. When we open the window, we shall also collaborate with credible stakeholders like the University of Lagos, Yaba College of Technology and JKK all in Lagos, in an attempt to decentralise the services and others in other states. This will ease the pressure in on our various offices and ensure a hitch-free process.”

JAMB had conducted examination for over 1.7 million candidates who registered for the UTME which commenced on May 13.

“Results of most of the candidates had already been released, while some others were yet to be released, as they were undergoing scrutiny by the board for any examination malpractice,” Benjamin said.

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