The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has taken action against a candidate from Anambra State, Ejikeme Mmesoma, for reportedly forging her 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result. As a consequence, JAMB has banned her from participating in any of their examinations for the next three years. The board has also nullified the result previously issued to Ejikeme, rendering it invalid for admission into any tertiary institution in Nigeria.
The Head of Public Affairs and Protocol at JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, revealed the disciplinary measures in a statement to The Nation. Benjamin stated that security agencies were currently investigating the alleged forgery, and if found guilty, Ejikeme would face prosecution. He emphasized that her result had been withdrawn, and she would be unable to register for JAMB examinations in the coming years.
The controversy surrounding Ejikeme began when JAMB accused her of manipulating her UTME result to secure a scholarship from Innoson Motors worth N3 million. The Anambra State government was also set to honor her with an award, but the allegations against her came to light. In response, Ejikeme denied any wrongdoing, posting a video on social media holding a printed copy of her UTME result to assert her innocence.
JAMB's Public Relations Officer, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, disputed Ejikeme's claims in a telephone conversation with The Nation. He explained that the candidate had been continuously requesting her result from JAMB, but her actions were questionable. The system consistently provided her original result of 249, despite her input of 362 as a request. Benjamin revealed that Ejikeme had manipulated someone else's result sheet, changing the name and registration number while unintentionally leaving the original QR code intact.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State government has initiated a panel of inquiry to investigate the alleged result manipulation. The Education Commissioner, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, expressed embarrassment over the situation and emphasized the need for thorough investigations by security agencies. Ejikeme's school principal, Mrs. Uchechukwu Edum, confirmed that they were awaiting the outcome of an investigation by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Amidst the ongoing investigations, Innoson Automobile Company, one of Ejikeme's sponsors, stated that they would maintain the N3 million scholarship until the conclusion of the inquiry. The Head of Corporate Communications, Mr. Cornel Osigwe, clarified that if it was determined that Ejikeme had manipulated her result, they would withdraw the scholarship. However, if JAMB was responsible for the error, and her actual score was 249, then the scholarship would stand.
In response to the situation, former Education Minister Dr. Oby Ezekwesili recommended an independent forensic investigation into the matter. She emphasized the importance of clarifying the facts and turning this incident into a learning opportunity for JAMB and all stakeholders, particularly students. Dr. Ezekwesili reached out to the Registrar of JAMB to advocate for an impartial investigation by technology experts to shed light on the issue.
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