Posted by The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has been encouraged by the Youth Wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide to put Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme’s alleged case of results manipulation to rest by giving her a second exam.
Recall that Miss Ejikeme, a former student of Anglican Girls Secondary School, Nnewi in Anambra, had celebrated her success in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by becoming the candidate with the highest score.
However, Miss Ejikeme was charged by JAMB of inflating her scores to win favor in a statement released on Sunday and signed by its Spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin. The statement further stated that the results will be removed because Miss Ejikeme would have to go to court.
Speaking to reporters in Owerri on Tuesday, Mazi Chinedu Arthur-Ugwa, the financial secretary of the Ohanaeze Youth Wing, urged the examination board to end the controversy by rescheduling Miss Ejikeme’s exam.
Arthur-Ugwa referred to the circumstance as “embarrassing” for the applicant, JAMB, and Nigeria in general and urged the Board to take swift action to restore its reputation and that of the country.
He continued by saying that Mmesoma will suffer harmful psychological and emotional impacts as a result of the allegation.
Arthu-Ugwa urged the body to “desist from causing harm” in any way to a young innocent person who had not yet been found guilty as a consequence of continuing investigations.
We will make ourselves available to be a part of the monitoring, if necessary, and only another investigation under the watchful eye of impartial observers would put this problem to rest, he added.
He claimed that the Board had never reported any attempts to influence its website, hence it was important for the board to refrain from preventing inquiries.
Only a few years ago, JAMB told us about a snake that ate a large quantity of money from one of its offices; now, we are told that the results of an exam that should admit students to our revered higher institutions can no longer be trusted for what they are.
“JAMB must realize the gravity of its position in society and stop making headlines for the wrong reasons as a matter of national importance.
“Let the Federal Government overhaul the entire board and save our country and her people from needless embarrassment,” he said. “If its management can no longer hold forth.”