The eight-member panel set up by Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State to investigate the examination fraud involving Mmesoma Ejikeme, a candidate in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), Mmesoma Ejikeme, has submitted its report.
Its report confirmed that she manipulated her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination result, giving herself a score of 362 as against an actual score of 249.
The Committee in its eight-page report said that the student of Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi admitted that she manipulated the fake result herself, using her phone.
Mmesoma gained the attention of Nigerians recently following the controversy relating to her UTME result.
Upon the release of the UTME results by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in May, Mmesoma became widely celebrated as the top scorer in the examination, with a reported score of 362. Her outstanding performance earned her a scholarship worth ₦3 million from Innocent Chukwuma, Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing.
However, JAMB later refuted Mmesoma's claim of being the highest scorer in the 2023 UTME, alleging that she had falsified the result she was proudly showcasing. The examination body asserted that Mmesoma's actual score was 249, not 362.
In response to the controversy sparked by this revelation, Governor Chukwuma Soludo established a committee of inquiry to investigate the matter thoroughly.
The committee, led by the Anambra State Commissioner of Information, Paul Nwosu, conducted interviews with relevant parties, including Mmesoma, JAMB officials, individuals involved in the process, and the principal of Anglican Girls Secondary School.
The committee's report, signed by Commissioner Nwosu, stated that JAMB disclosed that Mmesoma had made multiple requests for her result, and on each occasion, she received the same score of 249 as her total aggregate.
During the inquiry, Mmesoma admitted, in the presence of her principal and the Education Secretary, that JAMB's account of events was an accurate description of what transpired.
The committee attempted to ascertain the motive behind Mmesoma's actions, but she claimed that nothing had motivated her to engage in such behavior.
According to the committee's findings, Mmesoma is now expected to issue a written apology to JAMB, the Anglican Girls Secondary School, and the Anambra State government.
SEE FULL TEXT OF REPORT BELOW
Mr. Governor, 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 Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (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 interests 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 underlisted terms of reference;
Review Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’s JAMB Results and associated documents Conduct interviews with relevant parties, including Elikeme Joy Mmesoma, JAMB Officials and any other individual(s) involved in the process. Provide recommendations based on the findings of the investigation.
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. Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma had 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.
