Emeritus Prof. Peter Okebukola, the former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), has highlighted the case of Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma as a cautionary tale for potential cheaters in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Prof. Okebukola noted that Mmesoma’s incident demonstrated that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has taken significant steps to stay ahead of those attempting to cheat. He expressed regret over the situation, as many people were unaware of the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede’s, commitment to upholding the integrity of JAMB-conducted exams.
Mmesoma had initially claimed to have achieved a remarkable score of 362 in the 2023 UTME, garnering attention as the top scorer. However, JAMB accused her of manipulating and fabricating her result, asserting that her original score was 249. This revelation sparked public reactions.
After being presented with undeniable evidence, the 19-year-old candidate from Anambra State eventually admitted that her actual score, as confirmed by a text message from JAMB, was indeed 249.
In response to this development, Prof. Okebukola, in a statement issued in Abuja and made available to the press, emphasized that this incident further highlighted the effectiveness of Prof. Oloyede and his competent team at JAMB in dealing with such unscrupulous individuals. He urged all educational institutions and examination bodies to adopt the Oloyede model and techniques to eradicate examination malpractice in both school and public exams across the country.
The statement read in part: “The findings from my usually reliable sources confirm that there is some hanky-panky with the results that Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma claims to have obtained in the 2023 UTME.
“I think many people are unaware of the thoroughness of Professor Ishaq 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 penalize any center or candidate whose integrity will tarnish the image of JAMB.
“I urge all our educational institutions and examination bodies to adopt or adapt the Oloyede model and techniques of stamping out examination malpractice in our school and public examinations.
“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 pointed to in my advice to the candidate to subject herself to the decision of JAMB rather than flex muscles and raise unnecessary sentiments on the matter suggest that a penitent posture that is widely broadcast with the same volume as the ongoing aggressive posture has a high chance of mellowing whatever sanctions JAMB is planning to apply.
“About two weeks ago, precisely on June 24, at the 2023 policy meeting of JAMB, which I had the honor of attending, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, provided case studies of the extent to which candidates and some examination centers 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 jumping ahead of such unscrupulous individuals.
“I urge all our educational institutions and examination bodies to adopt/adapt the Oloyede model and techniques for stamping out examination malpractice in our school and public examinations”.
