The House of Representatives has called on the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to refrain from taking any punitive actions against Joy Mmesoma Ejikeme regarding the alleged falsification of her JAMB score.
The resolution was made following the adoption of a motion presented by Representative Awaji-Inombek Abiante (PDP-Bayelsa) during a plenary session in Abuja on Wednesday.
It was reported that Miss Ejikeme had claimed to have obtained a score of 362 in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME), while JAMB recorded her score as 249.
The House of Representatives has intervened, urging JAMB not to impose any disciplinary measures on Miss Ejikeme in light of the discrepancy.
Representative Awaji-Inombek Abiante highlighted that Joy Mmesoma Ejikeme, a student of Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi, Anambra, had taken the 2023 UTME and claimed to have obtained a score of 362.
Mr. Abiante pointed out that on July 2, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Head of Public Affairs and Protocol at JAMB, accused Ejikeme of manipulating her UTME score, alleging that she had changed her score from 249 to 362.
However, Ejikeme defended herself, asserting that she had printed her result directly from the JAMB website. She also emphasized her track record of academic excellence throughout her nursery and secondary education.
Representative Awaji-Inombek Abiante emphasized that Miss Mmesoma had consistently achieved first place in all the examinations she had taken prior to the UTME. Therefore, she argued that she was not capable of manipulating her UTME result.
Mr. Abiante acknowledged the possibility of glitches in uploading or downloading examination or poll results electronically in Nigeria. Hence, he stressed the importance of establishing the facts before placing blame.
He mentioned that Dr. Fabian Benjamin had previously alleged that some 2023 UTME candidates were presenting fake scores to gain an unfair advantage. Therefore, there is a need to investigate this allegation.
In response, the House of Representatives established an ad hoc committee to investigate the alleged manipulation of Miss Ejikeme’s UTME results. The committee is expected to report its findings within one week for further legislative action.