The Youth Wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has called upon the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to resolve the alleged case of result falsification involving Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme by administering another examination to her.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Miss Ejikeme, a former student of Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi, Anambra, celebrated achieving the highest score in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
However, JAMB, in a statement released on Sunday and signed by its spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, accused Miss Ejikeme of inflating her results to gain favour and declared that her result would be invalidated, leading to potential prosecution.
Speaking to reporters in Owerri on Tuesday, Mazi Chinedu Arthur-Ugwa, the Financial Secretary of the Ohanaeze Youth Wing, appealed to the examination board to put the matter to rest by arranging for Miss Ejikeme to retake the exam.
Arthur-Ugwa described the situation as “embarrassing” for the candidate, JAMB, and Nigeria as a whole, and urged the Board to promptly restore its reputation along with that of the nation.
He also highlighted the negative psychological and emotional impact of the allegation on Mmesoma.
Arthur-Ugwa insisted that the board should refrain from causing any harm to an innocent young person who has yet to be found guilty based on the ongoing investigations into the matter.
“We propose that only another examination supervised by independent observers can conclusively resolve this matter, and we are willing to participate in the supervision if necessary,” he stated.
He also pointed out that the Board had not previously reported any attempts to manipulate its website, emphasizing the need for the board not to preempt the investigations.
“Just a few years ago, JAMB informed us about a case where a snake supposedly swallowed a large sum of money in one of its offices. Now, we are being told that the results of an examination that should determine admission into our esteemed tertiary institutions can no longer be trusted. JAMB must recognize the significance of its role in society and refrain from being associated with negative publicity,” Arthur-Ugwa added.
He suggested that if the management of JAMB is unable to fulfill its responsibilities, the federal government should consider overhauling the entire board to save the country and its citizens from unnecessary embarrassment.
However, NAN reports that Miss Ejikeme has denied the allegations, affirming that she obtained a total score of 362 marks in the examination, contrary to JAMB’s claim of 249.
She also stated that she printed the result from the board’s official portal.
