JAMB Contravened Law by Banning Mmesoma for 3 Years? Exam Body Speaks Out
- The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has again stood its ground concerning its decision on Mmesoma Joy Ejikeme
- Ejikeme is the 19-year-old candidate in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination who admitted that she manipulated her results
- After JAMB sanctioned her, some Nigerians on social media criticised the examination body - but it has now responded
FCT, Abuja - The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said contrary to public perception that examination bodies do not have the powers to impose sanctions on erring candidates as it recently did in the Mmesoma Joy Ejikeme's case, the agencies are permitted by law.
JAMB stated this in its bulletin sent to Legit.ng on Monday, July 24.
Source: Twitter
Mmesoma: Examination Malpractices Act empowers JAMB to sanction culpable candidates
The examination body said it has acted within its lawful powers by banning candidates who had engaged in examination misconduct during the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
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JAMB noted that it has the power to sanction candidates as granted by the Examination Malpractices Act (1999), "to withhold, suspend or cancel the results of a candidate or ban or blacklist a candidate from taking its examination if it is satisfied that the candidate has engaged in any form of examination malpractice".
The agency also said examination bodies are empowered to withdraw recognition, place on probation, suspend, ban, or blacklist a school or an examination centre if it is satisfied that they are involved in any form of examination malpractice.
It further stated:
“Similarly, an examination body could remove the name of, or withhold payment to a supervisor or an invigilator or any other official employed in the conduct of an examination if it is satisfied that the supervisor or invigilator or official has contributed to an examination malpractice.
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“An examination body may also, in exercise of its powers under this section, circulate the name of an offending candidate, supervisor, invigilator, official, school or examination centre to other examination bodies, which may impose similar punishment.
“By implication, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board did not, in any way, contravene any law by meting out sanctions to candidates, who were found to have been involved in examination infractions.”
Furthermore, JAMB asked the public to arm themselves with information and facts before dabbling into issues they have little or no knowledge of.
It continued:
“As the board has always emphasised, the sanctity of its examination is sacrosanct. As such, it will invest everything within its powers to protect the sanctity of the nation's education system, which is the fulcrum on which the nation's developmental aspirations revolve.
“Since there is no gainsaying the fact that education is the bedrock of national development, JAMB would continue to be at the forefront of championing the crusade against examination misconduct”
Forged UTME result: House of reps reveals what JAMB should do to Mmesoma Ejikeme after confession
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that JAMB was urged to lift the three-year ban placed on Ejikeme Mmesoma from sitting the UTME.
The House of Representatives made the call on Wednesday, July 19, following Mmesoma’s confession to having manipulated her UTME result from 249 to 362.
FG asked to scrap JAMB, allow universities to process their admission
In related news, Legit.ng also reported that a prominent socio-political activist, Aisha Yesufu, said JAMB should be "scrapped".
Writing on her verified Twitter handle on Saturday, July 22, Yesufu argued that tertiary institutions should be allowed to completely process their admission themselves.
Source: Legit.ng
