By FUNMILAYO ADEYEMI

Some parents and candidates on Saturday expressed displeasure over the delay in the commencement of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) mock examination at some centres in Nasarawa State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the examination, scheduled to begin at 8 a.m., had yet to commence as at 11:28 a.m. at some centres, including God’s Own School, Masaka, in Karu Local Government Area.

Some parents said they left their homes as early as 5:30 a.m. due to the distance to the centres in order to meet the stipulated time.

They lamented that the prolonged delay subjected both candidates and parents to hardship, noting that many students had not eaten before arriving at the centres.

One parent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the situation as inhumane, adding that the candidates were already exhausted before the examination.

The parents called on JAMB to reschedule the examination or make alternative arrangements to prevent a recurrence.

Another parent, Mr Ubong Akpan, criticised the delay, saying the country was not adequately prepared for the new examination system.

“They are forcing Nigerians into a system we have not fully adapted to. We are not ready for this system,” he said.

Akpan added that the prolonged waiting period had affected the morale of the candidates.

“The children are already demoralised. I left home early to meet up with the scheduled time, yet it is past 11:20 a.m. and the examination has not started,” he said.

A candidate, Blessing Ugwu, expressed disappointment, saying the delay had affected her concentration.

“I am highly disappointed. We arrived early as instructed, but we have been waiting for hours without any clear information,” she said.

Another candidate, Joseph Aboyede, also expressed frustration, attributing the delay to poor preparation at the centre.

“There was no adequate preparation. What we experienced here should not have happened,” he said.

NAN reports that as at 2 p.m., the examination had ended nationwide, but the centre had not commenced, leaving parents and candidates to return home frustrated.

Efforts to obtain an official reaction from JAMB officials at the centre were unsuccessful, as they declined comment at the time of filing this report. (NAN)