July 05, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives has set up an Adhoc Committee to investigate the alleged manipulation of the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result by Mmesoma Ejikeme.
The House also directed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to suspend further actions on the matter until the investigation is concluded.
The directive followed a motion raised at plenary on Wednesday, by Awaji-Inombek Abiante, the lawmaker representing Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency of Rivers State.
JAMB had, in a statement, on Sunday, accused Mmesoma of inflating her actual result from 249 to 362.
Although Mmesoma absolved herself of any wrongdoing and insisted she printed the result from the Board’s portal. She also said there might have been a possible technical malfunction in the Board’s system.
In the midst of the controversy, JAMB, on Tuesday, barred Mmesoma from sitting for the Board’s examination for the next three years and further withdrew her result.
Faulting the 3-year ban slammed on Mmesoma, the lawmakers expressed concerns that the exam body acted in an unprofessional manner in a matter involving a minor by withdrawing the candidate’s result and banning her for three years.
The motion reads in part: “The House notes that the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is primarily charged with the general control of the conduct of Matriculation Examinations for admissions into Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in Nigeria.
“Also that graduating Secondary School leavers and others with prerequisite WAEC, NECO and other qualifying results apply to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) through the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) every year to gain admission into Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.
“Further notes that students, who sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME), are expected to log into the JAMB portal to check their results once released by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board.
“Aware that Miss Ejikeme Mmesoma of Anglican Girls Secondary School, Nnewi, Anambra State, sat for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations and scored 362.
“Also aware that on 2 July, 2023, JAMB Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, made a public pronouncement accusing Miss Ejikeme Mmesoma of manipulating her UTME results that she actually scored 249 instead of the 362 as claimed.
“Further aware that Miss. Ejikeme Mmesoma came out to defend herself that she actually printed the result from the JAMB Buncharitable and had been a brilliant child all through her Nursery and Tertiary education, coming first in all the Examinations she has been taken before the UTME, hence she posited that she is not capable of manipulating her UTME result.
“Cognizant of the fact that uploading or downloading results of examinations or polls electronically in Nigeria, glitches can occur at any time, hence the need to establish the facts before any blames.
“Worried that Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, alleged that some of the 2023 UTME candidates are parading fake scores in order to get undue advantage from the public, hence the need to investigate the allegation.”
After contributions by members, the House adopted the motion and set up an Adhoc Committee, mandating it to report back within one (1) week for further legislative action.
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