148 IDPs may miss 2021 UTME over SIM card issues

About 148 internally displaced persons (IDPs) at International Christian Centre (ICC) in Ohogua, Ovia North East Local Government Area, Edo, may miss the 2021/2022 UTME due to SIM card issues.

Solomon Folorunsho, a cleric and Coordinator of the centre, disclosed this to our reporter on Monday.

He expressed fears that the students might miss the examination because of their inability to get SIM cards needed to generate JAMB PIN.

The cleric, who said that processes for the entire registration for the examination would expire on May 15, however, said that PIN generation would end Monday.

“We have made frantic efforts to get the SIM, but it has been fruitless. We simply have not been able to get any to buy for the 148 candidates we have at the centre.

“This was exactly what we went through to be able to get those of them writing examination registered for their NIN.

“We were travelling as far as Okada and other far places to be able to get them registered; we succeeded in that and now it is the challenge of SIM card.

“Ours is to get the SIM, and for the phones, we should be able to get them to be doing the PIN generation one after the other,” he stated.

Folorunsho, who attributed the difficulty to the ban earlier placed on sale of SIM cards due to NIN registration, said that the centre would be spending N1.15 million to register the 148 IDPs for the JAMB examination.

“Each candidate will get the form for N8,880, while we plan to get nine buses to convey them to JAMB office for N180,000 at N20,000 per bus.

“Also, we shall be spending N77,000 to feed them in Benin,” he said.