Tobias Sylvester
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed why it won’t announce the names of the top scorers in the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
During a press briefing in Bwari, Abuja on Monday, JAMB registerar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede said the board won’t announce the top scorer this year ‘to avoid a repeat of the ‘Mmesoma saga.’
In 2023, Mmesoma Ejikeme, a UTME candidate from Anambra State, became entangled in a dispute with JAMB after claiming a score of 362 out of 400.
Following an investigation, it was discovered that the 19-year-old student scored 249 in the 2023 UTME JAMB portal, leading to her ban from the UTME for three years and withholding her results.
This year’s examination saw over 1.94 million candidates registering and participating across 118 towns and over 700 centers nationwide. Notably, 77% of candidates scored below 200.
Explaining the Board’s position, the JAMB Registrar explained that the UTME is only a ranking exam to qualify candidates for other requirements for admission into tertiary institutions.
Oloyede stated, “It is common knowledge that the Board has, at various fora, restated its unwillingness to publish the names of its best-performing candidates, as it considers its UTME as only a ranking examination on account of the other parameters that would constitute what would later be considered the minimum admissible score for candidates seeking admission to tertiary institutions.
“Similarly, because of the different variables adopted by respective institutions, it might be downright impossible to arrive at a single or all-encompassing set of parameters for generating a list of candidates with the highest admissible score, as gaining admission remains the ultimate goal. Hence, it might be unrealistic or presumptive to say a particular candidate is the highest scorer given the fact that such a candidate may, in the final analysis, not even be admitted.
“However, owing to public demand and to avoid a repeat of the Mmesoma saga as well as provide a guide for those who may want to award prizes to this set of high-performing candidates, the Board appeals to all concerned to always verify claims by candidates before offering such awards.”
KanyiDaily recalls that yesterday, JAMB announced the release of the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results.
