Prof. Charles Soludo’s eight-member panel, which was set up to investigate the controversies that arose over the results claimed by Miss. Mmesoma Joy Ejikeme, a candidate for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), has submitted its report.
According to the panel headed by Prof. Nkemdili Nnonyelu, the committee confirmed that Miss Mmesoma confessed to having intentionally forged the score of 362 as earlier claimed by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
According to the report, which was confirmed by Christian Aburime, the chief press secretary to Governor Charles Soludo, the candidate confirmed she single-handedly forged the result before heading to a cyber café for printing.
According to the report, the committee invited Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, the Principal of Anglican Girls Secondary School, and officials of JAMB for an interactive session with the Committee. Upon interrogation, Mmesoma “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 Airtel Number”. “According to her, she proceeded to the cybercafé (Prisca Global Computers, Uruagu, Nnewi), where she printed the results she had manipulated”.
According to the report, “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”.
Also, it was noted that “a number of red-flags was 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”.
However, upon interrogation by the committee, Mmesoma “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”.
“According to her, she proceeded to the cybercafé (Prisca Global Computers, Uruagu, Nnewi) where she printed the results she had manipulated”.
Following her confession, “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 committee therefore recommended “That Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma tenders an unreserved written apology to the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (AMB), the School (Anglican Girls Secondary School, Uruagu Nnew) and the Anambra State Government. This should be done immediately.
“Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma should undergo a psychological counselling and therapy.
“All prospective candidates for JAMB Admission should adhere strictly to guidelines, processes and procedures of the examination body”.
Furthermore, the Committee of Inquiry commends Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for their diligent handling of the matter and the information supplied about the interface with the candidate (see attached). 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.