The former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Emeritus Prof. Peter Okebukola has averred that the Mmesoma Ejikeme episode should be a warning to potential Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) cheats, as the board is several jumps ahead of them.
Okebukola disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.
He described the incident as unfortunate as many people were 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.
Recall that 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, admitted that her score according to a text message she received from the board was 249.
Reacting to the development, Okebukola said this was a confirmation that ”Oloyede and his able team at JAMB “are jumps ahead of such unscrupulous persons”.
He called on all educational institutions and examination bodies to adopt the Oloyede model and techniques of stamping out examination malpractice in the school and public examinations in the country.
“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,” he said.
Okebukola said about two weeks ago, precisely June 24, at the 2023 policy meeting of JAMB, 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,” he said.
