House of Rep wades into JAMB/Mmesoma saga, urges the exam body to halt punitive actions

THE House of Representatives has waded into the allegation of result forgery levelled by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) against a 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate, Mmesoma Ejikeme.

The lawmakers expressed concerns that the exam body acted in an unprofessional manner in a matter involving a minor by withdrawing the candidate’s result and banning her for three years.

They said the girl may have been manipulated by an adult.

The House subsequently set up an adhoc committee to investigate the matter and asked JAMB to stay action until the green chamber concludes its investigation.

Earlier, in a video released by the young girl which has gone viral, Mmesoma narrated how she obtained the result from JAMB portal and was surprised when she heard stories of forged result.

“I printed the result from JAMB portal,” she said. “They now saying that I forged my result is what I don’t know. I am traumatised that they accused me of forging my own result. I am not capable of forging result.”

On Sunday, JAMB accused the candidate of “manipulating” her result in this year’s examination.

“Miss Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma had actually scored 249 and not 362 she claimed,” the exam body insisted.

On Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday, Mmesoma said she should not be blamed for the controversy.

“It’s not my fault that I printed my result like that and they said that I forged my result. It’s not my fault. So, them banning it is not fair,” she said.

Also, the 19-year-old’s father, Romanus, said the examination body is being unfair to his daughter, whom he said has been a precocious child since her primary school days.

The father of the Anambra-based student told Channels Television that he has no intention to seek redress but hand over everything to God.