Osita Chidoka, a former Minister of Aviation and owner of the Computer-Based Testing (CBT) Centre where Mmesoma Ejikeme took her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), has urged the candidate to provide an explanation regarding the source of her result. Chidoka stated that he would appeal to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for leniency if Mmesoma is transparent about how she obtained her result. His comments were made in a statement on Wednesday.
Although Mmesoma claims to have scored 362, JAMB insists that her actual score is 249. During an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, Mmesoma expressed her belief that she should not be held responsible for the controversy surrounding her result. The House of Representatives has criticized JAMB for its handling of the matter, describing the exam body’s actions as unprofessional when dealing with a minor. The House has set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the issue and has requested that JAMB suspend any actions until the investigation is complete.
In his statement, Chidoka mentioned two concerns regarding Mmesoma’s result. Firstly, he noted that the CBT centre is no longer referred to as the Thomas Chidoka Center for Human Development on the JAMB portal, as the correct name is now Nkemefuna Foundation (Thomas Chidoka Center for Human Development). Secondly, he observed that the result template used by Mmesoma differs from the standard JAMB result template, raising doubts about its authenticity.
Chidoka praised JAMB for defending its integrity and suggested that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should follow JAMB’s example and provide an explanation for the “technical glitch” that occurred during the presidential election held on February 25, 2023.
