The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, on Wednesday, set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the ongoing controversy over the result of Miss Ejikeme Mmesoma, a candidate of the Unified Tartary Matriculation Examination conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board.
Chairman of the committee is Hon Sada Soli (APC/Katsina).
Kalu set up the committee based on the unanimous adoption of a motion titled ‘Call to Investigate Alleged Manipulation of Unified Tartary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by the Joint Admission And Matriculation Board (JAMB) by Miss Ejikeme.’
A member of the House, Hon. Awaji-Inombek Dagomie Abiante (PDP/Rivers), moved the motion in plenary.
Abiante, while moving the motion, partly said, “The House is aware that Miss Ejikeme Mmesoma of Anglican Girls Secondary School, Nnewi, Anambra State, sat for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations and scored 362;
“The House is also aware that on 2 July, 2023 JAMB, Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr Fabian Benjamin, made a public pronouncement accusing Miss Ejikeme Mmesoma of manipulating her UTME results that she actually scored 249 instead of the 362 as claimed;
“The House is further aware that Miss. Ejikeme Mmesoma came out to defend herself, that she actually printed the result from the JAMB and had been a brilliant child all through her Nursery and Tertiary education, coming first in all the Examinations she has been taken before the UTME, hence she posited that she is not capable of manipulating her UTME result;
“The House is worried that Dr Fabian Benjamin, JAMB Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, alleged that some of the 2023 UTME candidates are parading fake scores in order to get undue advantage from the public, hence the need to investigate the allegation.”
Following the adoption of the motion, the House resolved to “set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the alleged manipulation of UTME results by Miss Ejikeme Mmesoma and report back within one week for further legislative action.”