A group, Centre for Nonviolence and Social Justice (CNCJ), has accused the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) of gross violation of the Child Rights Act 2003.
It made the accusation in respect of the trending case of Ejikeme Nmesoma in which JAMB accused her of manipulating her UTME result to fraudulently attract recognition and scholarship.
JAMB claimed that “Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma manually inflated her UTME result from 249 to 362, using the inflated score to secure a N3 million scholarship from Innoson Motors.”
The group, in a release by its Executive Director, Chief Amos Ogbonnaya, described the official statement by JAMB as careless.
It noted that the stated that the statement has “sparked viscous and unrelenting condemnation of the girl whose only offense is that she made the highest score in JAMB.”
He said JAMB had, by coming public with such grave allegations against Mmesoma, without regard to her status as a child under the Child Rights Act of 2003, have demonstrated crass ignorance of, or contempt for Nigerian laws.
The Executive Director of CNCJ further stated that This, he noted, is especially as it relates to the rights of a child.
“Section 11(c) of the Child Rights Act provides that ‘Every child is entitled to respect for the dignity of his (or her) person, and accordingly no child shall be subjected to attacks upon his (or her) honour or reputation.’
“This Act is an adaptation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN General Assembly Document A/RES/44/25) adopted on 12 December 1989.
“Nigeria is a signatory to this Convention which sets out the fundamental rights of children and establishes the obligations of state parties to ensure that they take all administrative and legislative measures to ensure the protection and well-being of children in their respective states.
“The Child Rights Act of 2003 (an Act of the National Assembly) is Nigeria’s own legislative measure to ensure the protection of children in Nigeria.
“As an administrative measure to ensure the rights and well-being of Nigerian children, Nigeria has also established the National Child Rights Implementation Committee to enforce the Child Rights Act.
“As at 2016 (the current figure is yet to be ascertained), the Child Rights Act has been codified into law by 24 out of 36 states in Nigeria, with Enugu as the latest state to enact the Child Rights Law in December 2016.
“Mmesoma has been honoured as the highest scorer in 2023 Joint Admission and Matriculation examinations. This is a reputation she has acquired by mere dint of hard labour.
“This reputation is not unusual as those who knew her, even her teachers, testify to her brilliance and excellent academic performance.
“So, what exactly is the motive of JAMB in its latest acerbic vitriol against Mmesoma, especially its repeated mention of Anambra State and Innoson in its ill-advised public statement?
“We challenge and condemn whatever motive behind the latest senseless attack against a Nigerian child by JAMB, a federal government agency.
“JAMB has shown impunity and grave disrespect to Mmesoma’s right to dignity, and has unfortunately and unjustifiably launched the most viscous attack on her honour and her reputation, against the spirit and letters of the Child Rights Act of 2003,” the group stated.
CNCJ therefore call on the Federal Government, National Child Rights Implementation Committee, and Anambra State government to launch a discreet investigation into the activities of JAMB.
It urged concerned authorities to take a look at JAMB’s data base to determine whether any manipulation has occurred; either by Mmesoma, as alleged, or by perverse JAMB officials to bring her and Anambra State to public odium and contempt.
“The last administration of President Muhammadu Buhari did untold damage to state institutions by railroading all manner of inexperienced and incompetent people to head sensitive positions of authority.
“The time has therefore come, and it is now, when the present Federal Government must elevate merit above mediocrity by weeding out all incompetent and inexperienced people from high public offices.
“The importance of supporting children with outstanding academic performances cannot be over-emphasised.
“We urge Nigerians to be circumspect in swallowing the bait and infamy of JAMB until the outcome of a discreet investigation by an independent body is made public.
“We agree with critics that JAMB’s press release repeatedly mentioning Anambra State, instead of addressing the credibility of their own examination, raises suspicion.
“Even if the allegations were true, which is denied at this point, JAMB and the media should have shown some restraint in the matter to protect a young girl from unfair public opprobrium that may last a lifetime.
“We also find merit in the opinion that JAMB may have tampered with the result of this young girl, by reducing her scores from their database out of envy over the 3 Million Naira scholarship from Innoson.
“Be that as it may, we dare say that even where a crime has been committed, the Child Right Act prohibits the publication of such information or identifying a child linked to such criminal allegations.
“This applies even during judicial proceedings.
“Miss Mmesoma is an underaged girl, a minor, who has the right to protection from cyber bullying and media trial orchestrated by an incompetent institution like JAMB.
“Nigerians also deserve apology from JAMB for its failure in properly utilising humongous public funds at it’s disposal to evolve an effective and seamless process in matriculation examinations.
“We therefore call on Anambra State government, women advocacy groups, and all relevant authorities, to protect Mmesoma’s image and take necessary actions against JAMB for its alleged misconduct.
“Mmesoma is a minor and cannot speak for herself and does not have the mental energy to defend herself in the cyber space.
“We therefore call on all women groups and the civil society to stand up to, not only defend Mmesoma, but to defend the Child Rights Act, and to defend the Nigerian child.
“JAMB must be made to pay reparations to Mmesoma for this unwarranted assault on her dignity, her honour, and her reputation,” the group added.
CNCJ challenged JAMB to make public how Nmesoma inflated her score, when she did it, whether or not she did it alone or in consortium with some high-tech wizards.
The group also tasked the national examination body to disclose the type app or software used to hack JAMB’s data base or server.
“Someone who uses an app or a computer application to inflate a JAMB score cannot be said to have ‘manually’ inflated her UTME result.
“There is a clear difference between manual and electronic applications or manipulation,” Ogbonaya stated in the release.
