The heated debate across Nigeria over alleged falsified High scores by a female candidate at the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, appears to have subsided.
This is because the candidate, Mmesoma Ejikeme has reacted to the three-year ban instituted against her by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, describing it as “unfair”
Contrary to speculations that she is 16 years old, the 19-year-old had claimed her “results notification” slip for the UTME showing a score of 362 out of 400 was printed from the JAMB results portal, but the board argues she is parading a forged result on a template it discontinued in 2021 and that her official score is 249.
Mmesoma, who appeared with her father Romanus Ejikeme on one of Nigeria’s television stations believes she should not be blamed.
She said further that If JAMB checks its Support System, they would see that she sent a text message, which did not get a reply.
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On the claim that she used an Airtel line, Mmesoma agreed but added it was “not through the USSD code”, explaining further that she agrees with the 249 scores showed by JAMB feedback.
JAMB spokesman Fabian Benjamin while appearing on AIT Kakaaki on Wednesday revealed its records indicated the candidate had sent a series of messages to the board’s automated telecoms system, including the results showing an aggregate of 362.
A statement by JAMB on Tuesday had pronounced a three-year ban on the candidate and withdrawal of her result; the 249 score.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Government says it was taken aback when JAMB rushed to publish that the candidate’s result was forged while the matter was still being investigated
.
A statement by information commission, Paul Nwosu says even though the state government would not want to take sides, it has constituted an 8-man panel of inquiry on the matter.
Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe
