The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says that Mmesoma Ejikeme’s confession that she forged her UTME scores has vindicated it.
In a statement released by its spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin on Saturday, JAMB noted that the report of the independent investigative committee has reinforced its position that its system was be compromised.
The board reiterated that it has built a reputation in terms of the conduct of credible examinations over the years and cannot afford to fail the nation at this critical juncture of its development.
JAMB added that it would not relent in its activities and urged Nigerians to celebrate Umeh Kamsiyochukwu on her brilliant feat of being the 2023 UTME top scorer.
Part of the statement read:
“For the benefit of those who are still doubting the capacity of Ms. Mmesoma to commit this egregious crime and those who are pushing the narrative that the girl is just 16 years old even against all available data that indicate her age as an adult of 19 years, Ms. Mmesoma has owned up to committing the heinous infraction, which was carefully crafted to destroy the very foundation of one of the nation’s agencies charged with the critical role of apportioning the limited educational resource of the nation based on fairness equity and integrity.
“One vital lesson that Nigerians should learn from the imbroglio, is to learn to appreciate the genuine efforts of their critical national institutions to chart the course of national rebirth. Hence, this attitude of attacking everything that makes the nation proud even by people who should know better, is disheartening. The flip side of this is to infer that some ethnic jingoists had perhaps been elevated to public office and recognition beyond their mental and emotional capacity.
“To those who have sent apologies after seeing the truth, we call on them to continue to believe in the capacity of the Board to deliver. We commend Anambra State Government for its patriotic and unbiased posture all through the period of the national challenge.
“Let us all put our hands together to build the Nigeria of our dreams as we congratulate Miss Kamyosikwu Chinyere Uche as the best scorer in the 2023 UTME exercise.”