Apologise to JAMB, Anambra inquiry committee tells Mmesoma after her confession

The seven-man committee set up by Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra State, to investigate allegations of manipulation of UTME results of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board has said Joy Mmesoma Ejikeme forged her results without stating the motive behind her action.

The committee has therefore asked Ejikeme to tender an unreserved apology to JAMB.

It also commended the examination body for its effectiveness.

The committee which submitted its report on Friday, July 7 to the governor, said Ejikeme “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 with 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 stated that it tried to find out the motive for her actions but “Ejikeme said nothing”.

It therefore, among other things, recommended that Ejikeme should undergo psychological counselling.

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Members of the committee are Prof. Nkemdilim Nnonyelu, Prof. Mercy Chika Okonkwo, Prof. C. Jaja Nwanegbo, Maduabuchi Dukor, Rev Sr. Prof. Mary Felicia Opara, Rev Canon Dr. Uchenna Umeifekwen and Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh

The full report is as follows:

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;

1. Review Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’s JAMB Results and associated documents
2. Conduct interviews with relevant parties, including Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, JAMB Officials and any other individual(s) involved in the process.
3. 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.

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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.

Besides, 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.

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. According to her, she proceeded to the cybercafé (Prisca Global Computers, Uruagu, Nnewi) where she printed the results she had manipulated.

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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.

COMMITTEE’S FINDINGS

1. The results released by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) with respect to the UTME score of Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma is 249
   1. The results paraded by Ejikeme Joy 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.
   1. Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma admitted that she manipulated the fake results herself, using her phone
   1. The Principal Anglican Girls’ Secondary School – Mrs. Edu Uche and the Education Secretary, Diocese of Nnewi (Anglicn Communion) expressed dismay at the conduct of Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma.

Recommendations

1. That Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma tenders an unreserved written apology to the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the School (Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu Nnewi and the Anambra State Government. This should be done immediately.
2. Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma should undergo a psychological counselling and therapy
3. All prospective candidates for JAMB Admission should adhere strictly to guidelines, processes and procedures of the examination body.

Conclusion

The Committee of Inquiry commends Joint Admission 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 public domain.

Finally, we thank Mr. Governor for setting up the committee and for the confidence reposed in the committee.