For some truly unclear reason, the Nigerian military Junta led by Olusegun Obasanjo in 1978, felt that the few Universities available then were not capable of picking their own students.
Or perhaps, they felt that students who could transport themselves to distant Universities in 1960 to seek admission, could no longer transport themselves to closer Universities in 1978.
So, after morning push ups and military drills, with nobody to shoot and exercise their military energy on, they decided to go on a fun exercise and set up the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB.
It’s worthy of note that the board has never jointly Matriculated anybody after 45 years, but has succeeded in jointly doing other things such as scattering and rearranging people’s destinies. People like me, Duke.
So my story begins with my travails to pass JAMB.
The first thing I did, which proved to be costly was to underestimate JAMB. It’s typically what every above average intelligent student does.
I was like, what’s the fuss about? Why are some people taking JAMB too seriously?
Is it not just 4 subjects? OBJ for that matter? Just tick the correct answer, simple!
You don’t even need to get 100%. Just get like 80% in the 4 subjects and you will score 320. With that, you can gain admission into any university of your choice.
That’s what I thought, that’s what most of my friends thought too. We didn’t know that Nigeria had other plans for us.
So, we neglected the lesson centers, we didn’t pay attention to past questions, we just studied like normal exams and went to write JAMB.
On the D Day, I arrived one hour before the exams. I met a crowd of candidates surrounding the UNN Library.
First, gossip was going around that if you didn’t do reprinting of JAMB slip, you won’t write the exam.
I went and reprinted. Then it was said that the reprinting must be coloured. Hia! Oh!
I reprinted again in coloured.
Then it clocked 10:00am, the time the exam was supposed to start. From the secondary school I went to, S.T.C. Nsukka, 10:00am is 10:00am.
So I was expecting the same thing. I had programmed myself that I will finish the exam before 12 noon and go home. For where?
Ladies and gentlemen. 12:00, we were still loitering around the premises.
Occasionally, one person would come and address us. Sometimes it would be the gateman, sometimes, a UNN staff or student, sometimes a fellow Jambite. All of whom have no idea what was going on.
But we didn’t know. We thought they were all JAMB officials. Agha dị.
About 1pm, one of them came out and told us that they’re setting up the computers. We were the first set to write JAMB Computer based test(CBT).
For another 2 hours, they were setting up the computer. I was already sweating. I have unbuttoned 2 buttons on my shirt.
I was already dirty too and looking haggard.
Oh! I didn’t mention that those busybodies that addressed us earlier made us stand in line and struggled for lines?
Ha, they gave us numbers sef severally. We struggled for lines so no one would stay in your place. That’s how my clothes got dirty.
At 3pm, they were set. By that time, we had eaten all kinds of junks to keep body and soul together.
Then they made us form a fresh line, and ushered us into the hall, one after the other.
It got to my turn, I saw the questions. I was busy trying to answer the questions in one subject, NEPA took light. Wahala.
They switched to diesel powered generator. When it came up, I found out that my time was remaining less than 30 minutes.
I started clicking fast fast fast fast fast, no time to think, just to make sure that I clicked something.
Still, it beat me to the game and submitted itself.
It was then that I finally remembered to pray. I prayed fervently.
As I was trekking home like a dejected soul around 6pm, I wondered whether I should have attended all those lessons, divine mercy prayers, Okunerere and Fr. Mbaka adorations that my mates were attending.
I was wondering if this was the typical pride goes before fall tale.
I drenched in self guilt. Maybe God is punishing me for pride like it was done to Nebuchadnezzar.
I muttered a word of prayer, saying the Act of Contrition as I entered our compound…
To be continued…