The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, has explained why the board allowed Computer Based Test Centres to increase the service charge to N1,000 for its April 9 mock examination.
Oloyede explained that the slight increase in the service charge for the examination by the CBT centres was to allow them to do a thorough job, owing to the increase in the cost of diesel to power their generating sets.
While reviewing an award by the Board of Vanguard Media Limited, on Tuesday in Abuja, he hinted that all arrangements for the successful conduct of the examination had been put in place by JAMB.
The main UTME had been scheduled by the board to commence from May 6 to May 16.
“We are saying that we have allowed the CBT centres to increase the amount. We have not increased the fees; we have even said anybody can decrease the fees.
“But we have hitherto asked the centres not to increase more than N700, but now we have seen the reality and we have said they could charge up to N1, 000.
“So the reality is the truth unless we do not want them to conduct the examination. We have done the analysis of their expenses and if we insist that they must put on their air conditioners, the cost of diesel for their generators has to be taken into consideration,” he said.
According to the registrar, the board is not increasing its charges, adding that before now, the registration documents used to be N5,000.