"It is not our wish to join the slanging match or take sides at this stage."
The Anambra State Government says it would not take sides in the controversy surrounding the alleged manipulation of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) test scores by Ejikeme Mmesoma, a candidate in the examination.
Background
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had on Sunday accused the candidate of allegedly manipulating her UTME results and inflating the scores from 249 to 362. But the candidate insisted that the 362 was the score she received both on the JAMB website and in the SMS sent to her by the board.
However, JAMB has restated its earlier position that the UTME result presented by Miss Mmesoma is "patently fake", alleging that there was an infraction on the part of the candidate.
The examination body subsequently announced it would withdraw the candidate's original UTME result and bar her from taking the test for three years.
But Miss Mmesoma, the candidate, in a viral video on Monday, insisted that the controversial score of 362 claimed by her was printed from the JAMB website, and the examination body's accusation had left her traumatised.
JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin, on Tuesday morning, said the candidate's posture in the viral video showed that somebody was coaching and telling her what to say.
Anambra govt reacts
The Commissioner for Information in the state, Paul Nwosu, in a statement on Tuesday, said although the state government, "for obvious reasons has been following the JAMB/Mmesoma Ejike matter with keen interest," it would not be part of the discussion for now.
Mr Nwosu said Miss Mmesoma had gone to the office of State Commissioner for Education, Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, with her UTME result, to protest that JAMB did not recognise her as the candidate with the highest score.
The information commissioner said Mrs Chuma-Udeh, a professor, contacted JAMB to confirm Miss Mmesoma's claim but was told by the board that the candidate forged her result.
He said JAMB subsequently invited authorities of the State Security Service to investigate the matter and make its findings.
"This was yet to happen when JAMB went public with the matter, thus eliciting the raucous conversations we've seen in the media," he said.
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Mr Nwosu, however, said that the government had decided to undertake an "independent investigation" into the matter before declaring its stand.
"It is not our wish to join the slanging match or take sides at this stage. But as a responsible government, we have decided to undertake an independent investigation into the matter," the commissioner said.
Investigative panel members
Mr Nwosu said the state government has set up a committee of inquiry to "thoroughly" investigate the matter.
The commissioner said Nkemdili Nonyelu, a professor at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, will chair the committee.
Other committee members are Mercy Okonkwo, Chuma-Udeh, Maduabuchi Dukor, Jaja Nwanegbo and Mary-Felicia Opara - all professors.
Others include Uchenna Umeifekwem and Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, the managing director of Anambra Information Communication Agency.
"The findings of this committee will be made public," the commissioner said.
He did not mention if the committee was given a timeline for the conclusion of the investigation.
