Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, a former Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), has noted that the Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma episode should be a warning to potential Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) cheats, that the Board is several jumps ahead of them.
While describing the incident as unfortunate, Okebukola said that many people are unaware of the thoroughness of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, in promoting the integrity of JAMB-conducted examinations.
Ejikeme had claimed to have scored 362 in the 2023 UTME, and was celebrated as the highest scorer of the examination. The accusation by JAMB that the result was fake and manipulated by the candidate from her original score of 249 triggered reactions from the public.
However, after being presented with incontrovertible evidence, the 19-year-old candidate from Anambra State admitted that her score, according to a text message she received from the Board, was 249.
While reacting to the development on Thursday in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, Olebukola, who is the immediate Chairman Governing Board of the National Open University of Nigeria, (NOUN), said that this was a confirmation that “Prof. Oloyede and his able team at JAMB are jumps ahead of such unscrupulous persons”.
Okebukola subsequently called on all educational institutions and examination bodies to adopt the Oloyede model and techniques of stamping out examination malpractice in the schools and public examinations in the country.
According to the statement: “The findings from my usually-reliable sources confirm that there is some hanky-panky with the results, which Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma claim to have obtained in the 2023 UTME.
“I think many people are unaware of the thoroughness of Professor Is-haq Oloyede in promoting the integrity of JAMB-conducted examinations.
“He loves all candidates and will stop at nothing to ensure that unadulterated results are published and duly qualified candidates are admitted to our tertiary institutions based on existing vacancies.
“On the other hand, he will also stop at nothing to penalise any centre or candidate whose integrity will tarnish the image of JAMB.
“urge all our educational institutions and examination bodies to adopt/adapt the Oloyede model and techniques of stamping out examination malpractice in our school and public examinations.”
He added: “You cannot get away with bad practice with Professor Oloyede who is globally-acclaimed as a leading light in higher education in Africa. The indisputable facts that I have, point to my advising the candidate to subject herself to the decision of JAMB.
“Rather than flex muscles and raise unnecessary sentiments on the matter, a penitent posture, which is widely broadcast with the same volume as the on-going aggressive posture, has the high chance of mellowing whatever sanctions JAMB is planning to apply.
“About two weeks ago, June 24 precisely, at the 2023 policy meeting of JAMB, which I had the honour of attending, Professor Is-haq Oloyede provided case studies of the extent to which candidates and some examination centres could go in the attempt to cheat their way to high scores.
“Our jaws dropped at the meeting when we were informed that the examples are just the tip of the iceberg. This episode is a warning to potential UTME cheats, that Professor Oloyede and his able team at JAMB are jumps ahead of such unscrupulous persons.
“I urge all our educational institutions and examination bodies to adopt/adapt the Oloyede model and techniques of stamping out examination malpractice in our school and public examinations”.
