UTME forgery: Reps order probe, fraudulent app developer risks dismissal

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UTME forgery: Reps order probe, fraudulent app developer risks dismissal

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, resolved to investigate the alleged forgery of the UTME result by Ejikeme Mmesoma.

The House passed the resolution during the plenary following the adoption of a motion sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker from Rivers State, Abiante Awaji-Inombek.

The embattled 19-year-old Anambra student, Ejikeme, had been in the news following allegations of UTME score forgery by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board. Elikeme claimed to have scored 362 against 249 recorded by JAMB.

The lawmakers also asked JAMB to rescind the three years ban imposed on the pupil pending the outcome of the investigation.

Leading the debate on motion on Wednesday, Abiante said JAMB was ascribing to itself the powers to accuse, investigate and proffer punishment without giving the opportunity of a fair hearing.

“The person in question does not have the opportunity to sit here with us to be heard. She may not also have the opportunity to convoke press conferences like JAMB is trying to do,” Abiante said.

Also, Sada Soli from Katsina State said, “This girl was manipulated by some individuals in other to take advantage of her talents to cash on the privileges that come with the highest score.”

Also speaking, Igariwey Enwo from Ebonyi State, noted that JAMB’s approach on the matter had “failed the test of institutional procedure.”

The motion was unanimously voted for when it was put to a voice vote by the presiding officer of the House, Benjamin Kalu.

The House, therefore, set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the matter, including other affected results and report back within three weeks.

Meanwhile, JAMB said it had discovered the developer of the app used for the manipulation of the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results.

The board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, made this known in an interview with The PUNCH.

Benjamin also noted that the developer would lose his admission status in the university he is currently studying at.

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He said, “Let me tell you something, we have discovered the developer of the app used for fake UTME result upgrade and the person is a student. He will lose his admission status.”

Speaking on the issue of Ejikeme, Benjamin noted that the board had evidence against her and pleaded with her family to do the right thing by confessing before “it is too late.”

He said, “Before it becomes too late, let her tell the truth because, by the time we get to where we are going, it will be too late. I am saying this with all sense of responsibility and I mean it. As I speak to you now, we have discovered everything that happened.”

Meanwhile, Mmesoma, on Wednesday, confirmed that she received an automated text message from JAMB indicating that her score was 249.

Mmesoma made this known during an interview with Sunrise Daily on Channels Television which was monitored by The PUNCH.

JAMB’s spokesperson had earlier revealed that the candidate sent a series of messages to the board’s automated telecoms system, including the results showing an aggregate of 362.

Responding, Mmesoma said the only SMS she sent to JAMB was through its support system, stating, “That’s the only SMS I sent there.”

Asked if she got any feedback, she said, “They didn’t reply. If they check their JAMB Support System, they would see that I sent a text message. They didn’t reply.”

On the claim that she used an Airtel line, Mmesoma replied: “Yes,” but she added it was “not through USSD code.”

“The one I checked through the USSD code is the one of 360 (sic) that I saw,” she explained further.

Responding to the claim that the feedback from JAMB showed her score as 249, she agreed.

“Yes,” she said. “After all said and done, I now saw that I got 249. I sent them a text message there to know what really happened — the JAMB Support System. If they go to their system, they will see it there.”