Contrary to public perception that examination bodies do not have the powers to impose sanctions on erring candidates as done by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in the Mmesoma Joy Ejikeme’s case, public examination bodies are empowered by the Examination Malpractices Act (1999), to withhold, suspend or cancel the results of a candidate or ban or blacklist a candidate from taking its examination, if it is satisfied that the candidate has engaged in any form of examination malpractice.
Examination bodies are also empowered to withdraw recognition, suspend, ban, blacklist or place on probation, a school or an examination centre if it is satisfied that the school or examination centre is involved in any form of examination malpractice.
Similarly, an examination body could remove the name of, or withhold payment to a supervisor or an invigilator or any other official employed in the conduct of an examination if it is satisfied that the supervisor or invigilator or official has contributed to an examination malpractice.
An examination body may also, in exercise of its powers under this section, circulate the name of an offending candidate, supervisor, invigilator, official, school or examination centre to other examination bodies, which may impose similar punishment.
By implication, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board did not, in any way, contravene any law by meting out sanctions to candidates, who were found to have been involved in examination infractions. This is necessary to ensure that the public, especially, those who may want to dabble into issues of which they have little or no knowledge have sufficient understanding of the issue.
As the Board has always emphasized, the sanctity of its examination is sacrosanct. As such, it will invest everything within its powers to protect the sanctity of the nation’s education system, which is the fulcrum on which the nation’s developmental aspirations revolves. Since, there is no gainsaying the fact that education is the bedrock of national development, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, would continue to be at the forefront of championing the crusade against examination misconduct.
Consequently, the Board would not hesitate to appropriately sanction any candidate, who indulges in examination malpractice, to serve as a deterrent to others, who would want to toe the same line.
From the foregoing, it is evident that the Board had acted within its lawful powers by banning candidates, who had engaged in examination misconduct during the 2023 UTME.
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