GUARDIAN
Victor Uwajeh, the chief investigator of UK-based firm, Global Private Investigators Limited, has called for a thorough inquiry into the controversy trailing the highest scorer in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Uwajeh, in a statement released Tuesday in Abuja, urged the authorities in Nigeria to carry out an independent probe without involving the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
On Sunday, JAMB accused Ejikeme Mmesoma of “manipulating” her result in this year’s examination. It consequently barred the Anambra native from sitting for the exam for the next three years, claiming that she simply falsified a copy of a result slip of a candidate named “Asimiyu Mariam Omobolanle,” who sat the UTME in 2021 and scored 138.
Reqcting to the development, Uwajeh said there is more to the drama than meets the eye.
According to him, the way and manner JAMB has gone about the controversy leaves a lot to be desired.
Rather than carry out a comprehensive probe, Uwajeh lamented that the exam body has resorted to a media trial, thereby putting the young girl under serious trauma.
He said even if Mmesoma forged her results, the law affords her some protection as a child in the circumstance.
Uwajeh said: “It is rather unfortunate that JAMB being the Nigerian entrance examination Board for tertiary-level institutions, has been reduced to an object of ridicule. How do you accuse a teenager of fraud without proof?
“In saner climes, things of this nature are well investigated before it gets to the public domain. But JAMB has instead resorted to media trial.
“Let’s even assume that she is guilty of the act, which is unlikely; the law affords her some protection as a child in the circumstance. JAMB has not only exposed the poor girl and her family to severe embarrassment, but they have set a bad precedence for young people.
“JAMB has also defamed the poor girl, exposed her to public opprobrium, and most especially failed to discharge its duty to the girl child under the Child’s Right Act. This is intimidation and oppression in every sense. Unacceptable!
“On this note, there is an urgent need to investigate this alleged forgery case for the sake of posterity. We can’t just ignore the alleged scandals in the exam body over the years. Now is the time to take a holistic look into their affairs.
“I, on behalf of other well-meaning Nigerians, demand a discrete probe of the 2023 UTME exams. The Nigeria Police Force, DSS, and other security agencies should do more to unravel where the glitch could have come from. The young Mmesoma may not have the capacity to forge the result. Either someone else manipulated the result for her, or there is a compromise from JAMB.”
Uwajeh, therefore, pledged to deploy his expertise, resources, and modern technologies through the Global Private Investigators Limited to get to the bottom of this unpalatable incident if called upon.
