Renowned legal practitioner, Chief Johnmary Akachukwu Maduakolam, has issued a strong warning to the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, and the entire Board management. In a recently discovered letter addressed to Oloyede, Maduakolam demands a formal apology be issued to Ms. Mmesoma Ejikeme, an Anambra pupil who was falsely accused by JAMB of inflating her 2023 UTME result manually. Failure to comply with this request may lead to a legal battle between the lawyer and JAMB.
Expressing his shock at the allegations made against Ms. Ejikeme, Maduakolam emphasizes her incapability of forging her own results. He further accuses JAMB of neglecting their duty to protect the identity of the young girl. The lawyer, who serves as the President of the Johnmary Akachukwu Maduakolam Initiative for Education, a pet project focused on the holistic development of young individuals, asserts that JAMB’s actions have defamed Ms. Ejikeme, subjecting her to public humiliation and violating the Child’s Right Act.
JAMB had previously released a statement on Sunday, claiming that Ejikeme had manually inflated her UTME score from 249 to 362.
Allegedly, she used this manipulated score to secure a N3 million scholarship from Innoson Motors, which was to be awarded by the Anambra State Government. However, upon verification, JAMB discovered that her actual score was 249, exposing her fraudulent activities.
Maduakolam’s letter highlights a contradiction, suggesting that JAMB itself may be responsible for issuing false results. Nonetheless, even if Ms. Ejikeme had forged her results, the lawyer argues that she is entitled to legal protection as a minor in this situation.
In light of these circumstances, Maduakolam demands an immediate retraction of the defamatory publication against Ms. Ejikeme. He calls for an unreserved apology to be issued to the young girl and urges JAMB to take immediate action to alleviate the trauma caused by their conduct.
Failing to meet these demands may result in legal repercussions, as Maduakolam warns of his intention to take the matter to court, with JAMB bearing the costs of the legal proceedings.