Anambra state Government has confirmed that Mmesoma Ejikeme actually tampered with her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results noting that she had though scored 249 but however increased this to 362.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that the eight-page report of the panel set up by Governor Charles Soludo also recommended that Mmesoma should immediately make a written apology available to the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, her school , (Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu Nnewi), and the state government for what she has done which ‘is condemnable’.
She should also according to the panel undergo psychological counseling and therapy.
The eight-member panel was set up by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, on Wednesday to investigate the matter between the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and Mmesoma, whose UTME results had created controversy with the mandate to make its report public.
Mmesoma, a student at Anglican Girls Secondary School, Nnewi, had sat for the UTME in May and came under scrutiny for displaying and claiming to have the ‘highest score’ of 362, which JAMB had later described as ‘doctored results’.
The panel said it conducted interviews with relevant parties, including Mmesoma, JAMB officials and other individual(s) involved in the process as well as the principal of the Anglican Girls Secondary School.
Mmesoma , the panel noted, had sent a request to JAMB with a different registration number showing a UTME results of an aggregate score of 362, with Eng: 98, Phy: 89, Bio: 94, and Che: 81 which differed substantially from the standard JAMB format where she got an appropriate rebuttal stating her real score of 249.
The panel noted that ‘the results released by JAMB with respect to the UTME score of Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma is 249’.
‘The results 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.
The Principal, Anglican Girls’ Secondary School — Mrs Edu Uche and the Education Secretary, Diocese of Nnewi (Anglican Communion) expressed dismay at the conduct of Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’ the panel submitted in the report titled, ‘Report of the committee on Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’s JAMB score controversy’.
‘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 at Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu Nnewi, from Enugu state, protested to the state government that she scored 362 and ought to have been so recognized.
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’ the panel added.
‘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 sourcing 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.
The panel commended JAMB for their diligent handling of the matter and the information supplied about the interface with the candidate.
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’ the panel also noted.
Former Minister for Education, Oby Ezekwesili submitted on Saturday that she was convinced that the panel had ‘done justice’ to the matter while recommending counseling for Ejikeme Mmesoma to discourage her from getting involved in such an anti-social behaviour in the future.
‘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 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.
I also recommend sustained counseling for Mmesoma by the family, school and church to support her as she reflects on this tragic episode and makes a decision to embrace values and rewards of effort while eschewing dishonest gain for the rest of her life’ she tweeted-Team@orientactualmags.com
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