… As Ezekwesili backs JAMB’s sanctions against Mmesoma
In dispelling the controversy surrounding her result, Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma has finally admitted to faking her 2023 University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result.
Mmesoma, a student of Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi, Anambra state, gained popularity after Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) disowned her result for manipulating the 2023 UTME result.
Straightnews gathered that she applied for Pharmacy in the University of Lagos and her fear was that the correct score would not have fetched her admission in the institution.
Also read: UTME Fraud: JAMB Bars Anambra student for three years
Although JAMB did not announce her as the overall best candidate, Mmesoma was widely celebrated by many.
Innocent Chukwuma, the automobile businessman, awarded the candidate a N3 million scholarship.
JAMB would later declare, contrary to Mmesoma’s claims, that the student scored 249, not 362.
The exam body said she faked the results to mislead the public, so a panel was tasked with probing the matter.
However, the Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, on Wednesday, appointed an eight-member panel, to conduct a thorough investigation into the ongoing controversy between JAMB and Mmesoma.
A report on the Anambra-constituted panel’s investigation has now concluded that Mmesoma indeed faked the results.
Their findings, presented in an eight-page report, recommended several actions to rectify the situation.
According to the panel’s report, Mmesoma submitted a request to JAMB using a different registration number, falsely showing an aggregate score of 362. However, the standard JAMB format confirmed her actual score to be 249. Mmesoma admitted to manipulating the results herself using her phone.
The panel’s interviews with various parties involved, including Mmesoma, JAMB officials, and the principal of Anglican Girls Secondary School, provided further evidence to support their findings.
The report highlights the panel’s recommendations, which include Mmesoma issuing a written apology to JAMB, her school (Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu Nnewi), and the state government. In addition, she should undergo psychological counselling and therapy. The panel emphasised that Mmesoma was fully aware of her true score of 249.
The report, titled “Report of the Committee on Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’s JAMB Score Controversy,” was addressed to Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo and made public by the Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu, on Friday.
The panel expressed gratitude to JAMB for their cooperation during the investigation and hoped that the revelation of the truth will dispel misconceptions and correct the deception surrounding the case.
According to the panel’s findings, Mmesoma submitted a request to JAMB using a different registration number, providing a UTME result with an aggregate score of 362. This score was accompanied by subject scores of Eng: 98, Phy: 89, Bio: 94, and Che: 81.
However, these results deviated significantly from the standard JAMB format, which ultimately revealed her actual score of 249.
Based on their investigation, the panel concluded that JAMB’s official release for Mmesoma’s UTME score is 249.
It read in part, “The result paraded by Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma with an aggregate score of 362 is fake as buttressed by the very significant and instructive variations in the registration number, date of birth, centre name and other infractions.
“Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma admitted that she manipulated the fake results herself, using her phone.
“Recall Mr Governor that with the recent release of scores of candidates who applied for admission by the JAMB and subsequent announcement of Nkechiyere Umeh as the candidate with the highest score of 360, Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, a 19-year-old student of Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu Nnewi, from Enugu State, protested to the state government that she scored 362 and ought to have been so recognised.
“This has elicited interest and generated serious controversy and misgivings among the general public that the state government in its wisdom decided to constitute a committee of inquiry to look into the under-listed terms of reference; review Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’s JAMB results and associated documents.
“Conduct interviews with relevant parties, including Mmesoma, JAMB officials and any other individual(s) involved in the process. Provide recommendations based on the findings of the investigation.
“The committee invited Mmesoma, the Principal of Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, and officials of JAMB for an interactive session with the Committee.
“JAMB officials led by Dr Fabian Benjamin, the Head of Public Affairs presented the detailed processes and procedures involved in JAMB admissions, the policy changes that have occurred in the release of UTME scores since 2021 and what specifically transpired between the candidate Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma with registration number: 20230639047FF in her quest to obtain her JAMB score.
“JAMB revealed the different times that Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma made several requests to the JAMB portal asking for her results at different hours, and each of these times (four in number), she received in her phone, same results from JAMB indicating candidate’s UTME Results to Wit: Eng: 64, Phy: 54, Bio: 74, Che: 57 with a total aggregate score of 249.
“JAMB disclosed that the candidate was well informed of her correct score. Mmesoma had sent a request to JAMB with a different registration number showing a UTME result of an aggregate score of 362, with Eng: 98, Phy: 89, Bio: 94, and Che: 81. The results she sent differed substantially from the standard JAMB format where she got an appropriate rebuttal stating her real score of 249.”
“It was also evident that even the centre name ‘Nkemefuna Foundation (Thomas Chidoka Centre for Human Development as it was known before now) used for the examination was also manipulated where the candidate used the old name of the centre (Thomas Chidoka Centre for Human Development) in her own manipulated result sheet.
“In Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’s submission, she owned up in the presence of her principal, and the Education Secretary that the narration by the JAMB officials was a true and correct description of what transpired.
“She also admitted to having given a manipulated result by herself unaided, using the same phone Airtel Number.
“According to her, she proceeded to the cybercafé (Prisca Global Computers, Uruagu, Nnewi) where she printed the results she had manipulated.
“The Committee tried to find out the motive behind her action, but Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma said nothing.
“In their own submissions, the Principal Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu, Nnewi, and the Education Secretary — Diocese of Nnewi (Anglican Communion) expressed shock at what transpired where in their presence, Mmesoma admitted to have manipulated her UTME results, deceiving the school, her immediate family and the state government.”
“We hope that this unearthing of the truth as we have discovered will go a long way in correcting the sentiments, misconceptions and deceptions that have been in the public domain.
“Finally, we thank Mr. Governor for setting up this Committee, and, for the confidence reposed in the committee.”
The panel of inquiry said Mmesoma is expected to tender a written apology to JAMB, the Anglican Girls Secondary, and the Anambra state government.
Ezekwesili backs JAMB’s action
Meanwhile, a former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, says she is backing the sanctions imposed on Mmesoma Ejikeme by JAMB for faking her UTME result.
While the controversy over Mmesoma’s result was raging with JAMB insisting that she manipulated her result changing her actual score of 249 to 362, Ezekwesili had insisted that a proper investigation into the matter must be carried out.
With the report of the Anambra State panel which was signed by the Commissioner for Information, Paul Nwosu, indicting Mmesoma, the former education minister said she is satisfied with the process which gave the student a fair hearing.
JAMB had withdrawn Mmesoma’s result and consequently barred her from writing the examination for the next three years, sanctions Ezekwesili in a Twitter post on Saturday said she is in support of.
“I have just read the report of the Committee set up by Anambra State Government to investigate and report their independent findings on the Mmesoma and JAMB Saga.
“I am satisfied with the process and findings of their investigation which gave Mmesoma a fair hearing to enable the Committee to gather all facts.
“It was necessary to have independent evidence that the result Mmesoma laid claim to publicly was not only fake but that the forgery was personally orchestrated by her.
“There are usually syndicates at the center of perpetration of exam malpractices in Nigeria but it appears not to be so in Mmesoma’s case from the facts of the Committee’s report.
“Mmesoma’s action has consequences. I therefore support the sanctions imposed by JAMB as a deterrent to all who participate in the systemic exam malpractices within our educational system.” Ezekwesili wrote.
Mmesoma and @JAMBHQ Saga:
I have just read the report of the Committee set up by Anambra State Government to investigate and report their independent findings on the Mmesoma and JAMB Saga.
I am satisfied with the process and findings of their investigation which gave… pic.twitter.com/c4kutVy0jv
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) July 8, 2023
She also recommended sustained counselling for Mmesoma by the family, school and church, saying that she hopes that the lessons of this case will help all pupils, students, parents, guardians and the public at large renew a collective commitment to uphold Exam Integrity in Nigeria as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s Values and Reward System for our children and youth.
“I wish to thank JAMB for their good work and encourage the Registrar and his team to continue with their critical service to our country and people as we all join them to sustain raising of awareness on Exam Integrity,” she added.
