The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has barred Ejikeme Mmesoma from sitting the Board’s examination for the next three years.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by JAMB’s Spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, on Tuesday morning in Abuja.
The exam body had over the weekend accused Ejikeme Mmesoma of manually inflating her score from 249 to 362 and parading herself as the top scorer for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
This development has caused widespread reactions from netizens as they made known their displeasure on how JAMB is handling the issue.
Reactions on social media
Toluwani believes the ban is politically motivated in a bid to discredit the educational system of Anambra State. He said:
- “Ejikeme Mmesoma JAMB issues have a political undertone. They want to rubbish the educational system of Anambra to discreet the work of Peter Obi. APC is a devilish party that should be sent to. H€ll”
https://twitter.com/T_akinpade/status/1675969196373557248
A user called Nefertiti Lite queried why DSS was involved in the allegation as it wasn’t a matter of national security. She said:
- “Even DSS officials were invited to interrogate 16-year-old Ejikeme Mmesoma over ALLEGED forgery of result?? Is she a threat to National security now?? You’d think she built a nuclear bomb in her backyard or something.”
Even DSS officials were invited to interrogate 16 year old Ejikeme Mmesoma over ALLEGED forgery of result??
Is she a threat to National security now??You’d think she built a nuclear bomb in her backyard or something 🤦🏽♀️
— 𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐬 (@FirstObidient) July 3, 2023
Uko believes JAMB should have set another exam for Mmesoma to prove her results instead of banning her. He said:
- “This ban by JAMB is quite hasty in my opinion. If you say the girl forged the result and did get that much score, why don’t you set another exam for her to write let’s see if she can match up the same score. The hasty conclusion and public ridicule are to what gain really?”
This ban by JAMB is quite hasty in my opinion. If you say the girl forged the result and did get that much score, why don't you set another exam for her to write let's see if she can match up the same score? The hasty conclusion and public ridicule is to what gain really?
— Uko… (@uko_01) July 4, 2023
Jeremiah believes JAMB should have given the student a chance to prove herself instead of the ban. He said:
- “JAMB has become a fraudulent Government Agency in Nigeria. Why will you ban a candidate you accused of forgery without giving her a chance to defend herself? JAMB cannot be a judge and a complainer in their case. It is not acceptable. Ejikeme Mmesoma is innocent until proven guilty.”
JAMB has become a fraudulent Government Agency in Nigeria. Why will you ban a candidate you accused of forgery without given her chance to defend herself? JAMB cannot be a judge and a complainer in their case. It is not acceptable. Ejikeme Mmesoma is innocent until proven guilty https://t.co/fnNOXSTgLU
— Jeremiah Baba Adamu (@JBAdamu) July 4, 2023
Slimfit suggests that JAMB should release the student’s result and have an independent body remark on it. He said:
- “I don’t see a need for all the hullabaloos. Why not simply pull out the girl’s answers to all the questions she attempted on the JAMB CBT server and get an independent body to remark? It’s not rocket science.”
I really don’t see a need for all the hullabaloo. Why not simply pull out the girl’s answers to all the questions she attempted on the JAMB CBT server and get an independent body to remark?
It’s not rocket science.
— Slimfit (@iSlimfit) July 4, 2023
Toyosi Godwin believes there is a better way JAMB could have handled the situation instead of involving DSS. He said:
- “There are better ways to handle this with “fake” JAMB score issue. Why is the DSS in? Why are they slapping her face all over social media? So many WHYs. I don’t know, but the lack of decorum in solving this issue is telling, especially considering that she’s not the only person.”
There are better ways to handle this with “fake” JAMB score issue. Why is the DSS in? Why are they slapping her face all over social media? So many WHYs. I don’t know, but the lack of decorum in solving this issue is telling, especially considering that she’s not the only person.
— Toyosi Godwin (@ToyosiGodwin) July 4, 2023
The question is, how was she able to manipulate the score, I think jamb official are not truthful to themselves.
My candid remarks regarding the JAMB Scoring Saga of Ms Mmesoma Ejikeme are as follows:
First, JAMB should promptly rescind and reverse the 3 years ban on Mmesoma – it’s draconian and very counter-productive;
Second, JAMB should reschedule another exam and invite Mmesoma to rewrite it under very closely-monitored observation to then determine the final outcome of her overall performance; and
Third, JAMB, in going forward, is strongly admonished to henceforth, desist from sensationalizing issues of this nature, and totally blowing them out of rational proportions, bearing in mind the presently highly sensitive times in the developing history of Nigeria🇳🇬 as a Nation.
She does NOT need to rewrite the exam, which she has already passed, according to JAMB itself, with a score of at least 249 which is well above JAMB’s own cut-off score of 140.
Meanwhile, the purported 3-year “ban” is a joke! Who made JAMB the accuser, prosecutor, jury and judge in its own case, with the power to exclude anyone from a legal pursuit?