11th July, 2023
A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Transparency Advocacy for Development Initiative (TADI) has asked Nigerians not to give ethic coloration to the forged 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result of Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme.
This was contained in a statement signed by TADI’s Director of Programmes, Media and Publicity, Mr Taiwo Adeniran in Abuja.
He urged the general public to respect JAMB’s integrity and reject the ethnic colouration being attached to the Ejikeme result saga.
Adeniran said that Ejikeme had admitted to a panel of independent investigators set up by the Anambra Government that she forged her UTME result.
He stressed that earlier before Ejikeme’s confession, there were a lot of unguided and negative reactions orchestrated by her claim bothering on accusations and counter-accusations trending on social media and other media platforms.
“We call on the general public at this juncture to see her confession to the allegation and admittance to have forged the result as an attestation that JAMB is a well-respected and highly-regarded external examination body.
“The body has shown that it is well-respected and highly-regarded external examination body that its credibility and integrity cannot be contaminated. And. We call on the public to respect that.
“It is also very pertinent to note that issues like these should not be treated as a matter of ethnicity or religion,” he said.
He appreciated the firm position of JAMB for its unwavering commitment to upholding the sanctity of the nation’s educational system and its resolve to always deliver credible and fair assessments in a manner that has reinforced the confidence of the people in the credibility of the institution.
“Also on record is the assurance of the board to be guided by the principles of inclusiveness and fairness as demonstrated by its seamless and prompt deployment of dedicated software known as the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS).
“We hereby use this medium to urge the emergency social media journalists on this matter and other issues of national interest, to always exercise restraint in their choice of words and matters like this.
“This is because, Ejikeme’s confession had vindicated JAMB, showing clearly it does not operate or relate with candidates bases on tribe or religion.
“We want to express our firm belief as a responsible CSO that JAMB as constituted under the current Leadership of the board head by Prof. Ishaq Oloyede as we pass a vote of confidence on his leadership.
“He is performing the constitutional mandate very well without fear or favor and not based on religion or ethnic affiliation but purely on merit and professionalism of the board to giving Nigerians a very reliable examination conduct,” he stated.
The CSO also called on prospective candidates for UTME in the nearest future to stay clear of fraudulent activities that could jeopardize their chances and reputation.
It also urged the JAMB to engage student leaders, CSOs, and professional bodies to interact with them as an advocacy strategy to dispel the issues of manipulation and due process of obtaining JAMB’s authentic results.
“Therefore, it is imperative for a symbiotic collaboration amongst the principal stakeholders such as Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and Parents Teachers Association (PTA) in the educational delivery sector of the nation to find a way forward to address the decadence of moral and value upturn at the basic education level.
“On the strength of the above we once again urged every Nigerian to be supportive of the nation’s institutions at every level for a better system and a culture that promotes national unity and respect for individual rights,” he stated.