…Says juvenile delinquency can never fully be separated from children
By Chimezie Godfrey
Save-Public-Education-Campaign Convener, Comrade Vivian Bello has appealed to JAMB to thread the part of forgiveness and rescind its ban on Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme whom she described as a minor.
In a statement made available to Newsdiaryonline on Sunday in Abuja, Bello said juvenile delinquency is something that can never fully be separated from children.
Bello who commended JAMB for defending the integrity of its system, said since the young girl has owned up to manipulating the document and result, it was imperative for the matter to be put to rest to enable all heal and move on.
She said,”The news of dual Holder of the highest scorer in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB examination for 2023 session jolted the Nation, moreso especially as the presumed Winner Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme, was already being celebrated by different entities across the country including with awards and offers of cash and scholarships.
“JAMB however would not have the seeming anomaly as it promptly came out with a disclaimer of the Miss Mmesoma claims which led to a tirade of claims and counter-claims and understandably with many Nigerians and even institutions as the National Assembly wading into the matter, on both sides of the divide but with JAMB maintaining its stance.
“While all the unfortunate controversy has been decidedly laid to rest, as the young girl has owned up to manipulating the document and result using her mobile device, we feel it is imperative that the matter now be put to rest effectively to enable all heal and move on.”
She pointed out that in all that happened in the situation, it was apparent that youthful exuberance has a lot to do with the incident as the young girl obviously did not understand the full import of what she was doing, at the time she was in that ignoble manipulation process.
“What may however appear to her contemplation as “innocent-try-my-luck thing, has however plunged the whole country into a bitter, totally avoidable squabble and worse still, brought enormous distress upon JAMB, which strived laboriously to assert and defend the integrity of its Mandate.
“It therefore beholds on us as a society to use this incident as again a clarion call to re-assess our responsibilities and oversight towards children and all that are under our care.
“We must know that Children belongs to everyone and we owe them duty of care each and every one of us, one way or another. These could be in form of providing for them, counselling, protection, mentoring etc and we all hold this responsibility knowing that someday in future, what they do (good or bad), may affect us similarly one way or another. Children are usually an indisputable case of garbage-in, garbage-out.
“And so like in the case of Mmesoma, who knows, if a good adult was privy to her negative antics with JAMB’s portal and her result, S/He may possibly have counselled and swayed her away from that line of action in the first place. It was sad this never happened and she went ahead and misled everybody including her parents,” she said.
Bello further appealed to JAMB to reconsider Mmesoma’s age and not use sledgehammer on the matter, more especially as she has owned up and apologized to JAMB.
She particularly appealed to JAMB to rescind it’s ban imposed on the young girl especially the 3-years ban from writing JAMB exams, to enable her proceed with her education, career and life
She said,”We commend JAMB for its stance and it’s competence, but however strongly urge it not to go to Over-kill. We appeal to JAMB to consider her age and not use sledgehammer on this matter, more especially as she has owned up and apologized to JAMB and Nigerians as a whole.
“If she hadn’t done so, for whatever it’s worth, this controversy would have continued for whatever it’s worth and JAMB would have still remained in the eye of the storm even with its integrity hanging in the balance.
“We therefore urge it to please rescind the punitive actions it imposed on the young girl especially the 3-years ban from writing JAMB exams, to enable her proceed with her education, career and life.
“On the other hand, if JAMB wishes, we rather recommend compulsory Counselling session for her by JAMB as this will not only help rehabilitate her but equip her with right mental frame towards education and life endeavours so that she stays completely away from the path of dishonesty for whatever it is worth.”
