The Youth Wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is calling on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to address the alleged results falsification case of Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme by administering another examination. According to reports from 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 signed by its spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, accused Miss Ejikeme of inflating her results for personal gain and stated that her results would be withdrawn, with potential prosecution. Speaking to reporters in Owerri, the Financial Secretary of the Ohanaeze Youth Wing, Mazi Chinedu Arthur-Ugwa, emphasized the need for JAMB to resolve the matter by conducting another examination for Miss Ejikeme.
Arthur-Ugwa expressed his concern over the embarrassing situation for both the candidate and JAMB, emphasizing the importance of the board promptly addressing the issue to protect its reputation and that of the nation. He also highlighted the potential negative psychological and emotional impact on Mmesoma due to the allegations. Arthur-Ugwa urged JAMB to refrain from causing harm to an innocent youth who has yet to be proven guilty by the ongoing investigations.
He suggested that only an examination supervised by independent observers could bring the matter to a conclusive resolution, with the Ohanaeze Youth Wing willing to participate in the supervision if required. Additionally, Arthur-Ugwa mentioned that JAMB had never previously complained about attempts to manipulate its website, further supporting the need for the board to await the results of the investigations rather than preemptively drawing conclusions.
Arthur-Ugwa emphasized the significance of JAMB's role in society and expressed disappointment that the board has been frequently making headlines for the wrong reasons. He suggested that if JAMB's management is unable to address these issues, the Federal Government should consider overhauling the entire board to prevent unnecessary embarrassment for the country and its people.
NAN reports that Miss Ejikeme vehemently denied the allegations, maintaining that she obtained a total score of 362 in the examination, contrary to JAMB's claim of 249, and asserting that she printed the result from the board's official portal.
