In an interview with The PUNCH on Monday, Head, Public Affairs and Protocol in JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, listed reasons that could lead to a candidate’s result being withheld.
Among the reasons stated by Benjamin are malpractice, misconduct, breach of procedural processes, and incomplete review of centre.
He also urged candidates to check their results properly.
Benjamin said, “We have released results for this batch. There are many factors that can lead to a result being withheld. It could be as a result of examination malpractice, the candidate’s inability to conduct himself or herself properly, a breach in procedural process or a review of the centre.”
Earlier, JAMB in a bulletin vowed to withhold the results of candidates found guilty of malpractices.
The bulletin read in part, “About 1.4 million candidates have so far taken the examination across the nation, with some examination towns and centres completing their own allotted number of candidates for the year while the results of sessions already taken will be released to the respective candidates.
“However, the release of these results is with a caveat that after previewing the Closed Circuit Television footage of the conduct of the examination, the result of any candidate found wanting would be withdrawn if it had been released or withheld if not yet released.”
How to check 2022 UTME results -JAMB
Fabian advised candidates to send UTMERESULT in one word to 55019 to have their results checked.
He said, “To check the 2022 UTME result, all a candidate needs to do is to simply send UTMERESULT to 55019 using the same phone number that he or she used for registration.
“The result will be sent as a response to the candidate’s text message. This is the only process of checking the 2022 UTME results for now as the board has not uploaded it on its website for obvious reasons.
“In addition, candidates are forewarned that they would, as usual, receive all kinds of messages from desperate fraudsters on how to check their results different from the aforementioned one.
“Hence, JAMB urges all candidates to ignore all such messages on how to check their 2022 UTME results as they are all products of deceit aimed at misleading them.”
Benjamin stressed that JAMB adopted the user-friendly and simplified process of checking UTME results through the use of SMS to adhere to the ease of doing business protocol of the government.
He added that the process was simplified to preclude the unconscionable exploitation of candidates by shylock business centres and cyber cafes which often took advantage of hapless candidates.
The 2022 UTME began on May 6 and would end on May 16.
1.7 million candidates participated
About 1.7 million candidates took part in the 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination nationwide in 755 registered computer-based centres.
The Head Media JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said that the ban on prohibited items was still in force.
Zamfara, according to the statistics made available to our correspondent in Abuja, has the least number of candidates while Lagos has the highest number of candidates in Nigeria and the South West.
The states and the number of candidates are; Abia 31,782 ; Adamawa 22,268; Akwa-Ibom 35,369 ; Anambra 42,960; Bauchi 23,509; Bayelsa 20,270 ; Benue 51,003 ; Borno 22,310 ; Cross River 27,041 ; Delta 58,088.
Others are Ebonyi 12,600; Edo 44,648; Ekiti 23,224; Enugu 37,448; FCT 77,705; Gombe 25,673; Imo 30,782; Jigawa 19,195; Kaduna 94,113.
They also include Kano 77,830; Katsina 30, 546; Kebbi 16, 619; Kogi 39,065; Kwara 56,277; Lagos 257,887; Nasarawa 62,706; Niger 34,179; Ogun 95, 965; Ondo 48,449; Osun 47,759; Oyo 98,834; Plateau 56,138; Rivers 76,388; Sokoto 20,639; Taraba 22,648; Yobe 12,362 and Zamfara 6,668.
Also, the Abuja Centre Coordinator of JAMB Equal Opportunity Group, Prof. Sunday Ododo, said no fewer than 383 candidates with visual impairment and other forms of disability sat for the 2022 UTME.
Banned items
He called on candidates to be careful not to run foul of the law as necessary sanctions would be meted out to violators of JAMB’s code of conduct.
Benjamin said in Abuja that the board had put in place all measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination.
Fabian said that all candidates would be checked into the examination hall, using the Biometric Verification Machine, which is also a register of attendance in line with the Board’s policy.
Benjamin identified banned items within the examination hall including but not limited to flash drives, smartwatches, calculators, recorders, mobile phones, spy reading glasses, and jewellery, among others.