Celebration by Anambra State government over the duo of Miss Ego Maduafokwa and Master David Okwuchukwu Nwobi who reportedly scored highest marks in the recently released Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB) examination has become a matter of controversy.
Governor Willie Obiano had revealed that the two students who hail from Anambra State but sat for the examination outside the state would be honoured to spur up other students in the state.
But some opposition elements in the state have described the jubilation as misplaced, stating that even though the students hail from Anambra, they did not benefit from the educational system in the state.
Some of the commentators writing on social media accused the state government of usurping the success of other state’s excellent educational systems.
But reacting to this, the state commissioner for information and public enlightenment, Mr. C. Don Adinuba lashed out at critics, accusing them of plans to cause division among Anambra people living in the state and those in the diaspora.
Adinuba said the government is at liberty to celebrate her children who do well in an external examination, questioning why the opposition did not celebrate the many successes of the state government in the educational system.
“The irony of the handful of campaigners against honoring the two brilliant students from Anambra State who scored the highest marks in the 2020 JAMB examination on the ground that they did not write the exam in the state is that they were not born or raised in Anambra State.
“Nor have the campaigners ever worked or lived in Anambra State, Yet they seek the highest political offices in the state. Going by the campaigners’ self-serving logic, they should not aspire to any office in the state because they are not based here.
“Ndi Anambra are justified in their celebration of their children who made the best results in the 2020 JAMB examination. Miss Ego Maduafokwa, for one, broke the JAMB exam record by scoring 365 marks out of a maximum of 400.
“It will be wrong to ask her Ihiala LGA people not to honour her because she was born outside the area. All well-meaning ndi Anambra and, indeed, all Nigerians support the decision of the Obiano administration to formally honour the two outstanding students who have brought immense honour to our dear state,” Adinuba said.
