JAMB, WAEC Strike Deal on Clashed Tests

By Dayo Adesulu

Some candidates for the examination are saying that the new date of 11 April still clashes with their WASSCE. Apparently, many of the candidates who registered for 2019 UTME did in anticipation of using their WASSCE results for admission at the end of the exercise. JAMB had made it clear that those awaiting results would be given candidates the opportunitunity to register and sit for the examination as they are expected to upload details of results after examination. This latitude by JAMB obviously gave candidates the privilege to buy the forms and sit for the examination. Maybe the privilege also informed reason the over 1.9 million bought the JAMB forms. In the light of the examination clash, many stakeholders are wondering if there was any synergy between the two examination bodies to fix examination date. Some JAMB candidates who are writing the ongoing WAEC decried the clash in the examination date, adding that the clash in the examination date would make them leave one for another. Speaking in this regard, the Spokesperson of WAEC, Mr Demian Ojijeogu said that there was no clash in the examination date between both examination body. He said: “There’s no clash, have you seen the timetable’’? According to him, the main issue is with the subject, Animal Husbandry, adding that it is even a subject with a very low candidature. He explained that in some schools, you may not even get a candidate sitting for it. He said: “When you check the examination time table, you can see first and second set for each subject. This first and second set means that if you miss the first, you can sit for the second. It is an alternative. It is only in Animal Husbandry, we don’t have first and second set.’’ However, an impeccable source from WAEC who did not want her name in print told Vanguard that representatives of WAEC and JAMB met yesterday to ensure that no student is hindered from participating in the examinations. She said: ‘’There is a lot of discussions going on between WAEC and JAMB. We have pleaded with JAMB to delay the paper slated for tomorrow (today) a little bit for us (WAEC). ‘’For Animal Husbandry, we don’t have option and we don’t want anybody to miss it because animal husbandry candidates are usually not enough. ‘’You know the kind of interpretation that will be given to it because we have had similar experiences like these before. Therefore, the only option we had was to plead with JAMB to delay their own paper for tomorrow. I am telling you because we don’t have anything to hide. Nobody will miss the paper tomorrow.’’ In his reaction, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB allayed the fears of candidates, stressing that they would not be denied the opportunity of writing the examination. The timetable of WAEC as shown to Vanguard revealed that students are expected to write Animal Husbandry on April 11, Thursday by 9:00 a.m. This is just as JAMB candidates are also expected to sit for the UTME today, Thursday. Benjamin explained that WAEC starts with practicals and that it has so many sessions for its practicals. Benjamin on Tuesday said the authorities of JAMB and WAEC had met and given assurance that the examinations would not clash.He explained that the WAEC Practicals are in sections, adding that there was no clash at all and that allegation of a clash in timetable is unfounded and baseless. He said: “WAEC has given us an assurance that it has accommodated all the fears of candidates. That the practical subjects are scheduled in sections in such a way that there would not be any clash (between UTME and WASCCE) at all.“This is as a result of the meeting between the Head of the National Office of WAEC, Mr Isaac Adenipekun and JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede.“