Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The controversial “highest scorer” of the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, Mmesoma Ejikeme, has been recommended for psychological and counseling therapy following her indictment by a probe panel set up by the Anambra State Government.
Besides that, the panel also recommended that the 16-year-old should immediately tender an unreserved written apology to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), her school, (Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu Nnewi) and the Anambra State Government.
The panel in its report, averred that the results paraded by Mmesoma, with 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.”
It further said that investigations revealed that Mmesoma’s doctored result was fraught with many discrepancies and alterations.
According to the eight -member panel, Mmesoma admitted that she manipulated the fake results herself, using her cell phone.
The Report released by Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Head Public Affairs, JAMB, and obtained by Ikengaonline read in part: “The committee invited Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, the Principal of Anglican Girls’ Secondary School and officials of JAMB for interactive session with the committee.
“JAMB officials led by Dr.Fabian Benjamin, the Head 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 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 from JAMB. But she sent a request to JAMB with a different registration number showing a UTME result of 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.
“Besides, a number of red-flags was (sic) also highlighted by JAMB officials showing a different date of birth, different registration number, notification of results template that has been discarded since 2021, amongst others.
“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 have given a manipulated result by herself unaided, using same phone Airtel Number.”
The report said that Mmesoma, after manipulating the original score in her phone, proceeded to a cybercafé (Prisca Global Computers, Uruagu, Nnewi) where she printed the inflated result.
On her motive for the ignoble action, the panel said she simply said “nothing” after several efforts to squeeze out the truth from her.
Meanwhile, the panel commended JAMB for its diligent handling of the matter and the information supplied about the interface with the candidate.
The panel expressed optimism that the investigation would help checkmate future manipulation of UTME scores.
It also said it would help correct the ethnic sentiments Mmesoma’s case was already generating in some quarters.
“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.”
According to the panel, the Principal of Anglican Girls’ Secondary school, Uruagu Nnewi, where Mmesoma was a student, and the Education Secretary of the Diocese of Nnewi, were both shocked at the revelation by Mmesoma who allegedly admitted in their presence that she actually inflated her scores.
