• Says candidate admitted manipulating UTME scores

•Confession, panel’s report have vindicated us, says JAMB

•Innonson withdraws scholarship

In light of the candidate's admission that she manipulated her results, the commission has demanded that she submit an unreserved written apology to JAMB.

This is a consequence of the examination body's declaration that the investigative report validates its position that Mmesoma falsified the UTME result.

Following her confession and the panel's indictment, Innoson Vehicles has revoked the N3 million scholarship it had awarded her.

In contrast to her actual score of 249, Miss Ejikeme claimed to have earned 362, prompting JAMB to issue a statement disputing the result.

Despite JAMB's stance, the 19-year-old displayed her result on social media, claiming she never compromised with it. This compelled the Anambra State Government to establish a commission to investigate the occurrence.

But while appearing before the panel, Ejikeme acknowledged falsifying the result without anyone's knowledge or assistance, according to the panel's report made available to journalists yesterday.

The panel revealed in an eight-page report that it discovered the candidate altered her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result after she admitted to doing so.

According to the tribunal, Mmesoma admitted in the presence of her principal and the Education Secretary that the JAMB officials' account of the events was accurate.

According to the report, she also admitted to having independently manipulated the result using her Airtel phone number.

The panel recommended that she apologize to JAMB, her institution, Anglican Girls' Secondary institution, Uruagu Nnewi, and the Anambra State Government.

It was also suggested that Mmesoma receive psychological counseling and treatment.

The committee report states, "JAMB revealed that Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma made multiple requests to the JAMB portal for her results at different times, and each of these four times, she received identical results from JAMB indicating the candidate's UTME score on her phone." Results include 64 for English, 54 for physics, 74 for biology, and 57 for chemistry, for a total aggregate score of 249.

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"JAMB revealed that the candidate was informed of her correct JAMB score." Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma had submitted a request to JAMB with a different registration number and a UTM E aggregate score of 362, with scores of 98 in English, 89 in Physics, 94 in Biology, and 81 in Chemistry. Her results were significantly different from the standard JAMB format, and she received an appropriate response stating that her actual score was 249.

In addition, several red alarms were raised by JAMB officials, including a different date of birth, a different Registration Number, and a Notification of results template that has been obsolete since 2021.

"It was also evident that even the center name "Nkemefuna Foundation (formerly Thomas Chidoka Centre for Human Development) used for the examination was manipulated, as 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 acknowledged in the presence of her principal and the Education Secretary that the JAMB officials' narration was a true and accurate account of the events.

"She also admitted to having independently manipulated a result using the same Airtel phone number." According to her, she went to the cybercafé (Prisca Global Computers, Uruagu, Nnewi) and printed the manipulated results.

"The Committee attempted to determine the motivation behind her actions, but Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma refused to comment. In their submissions, the Principal of Anglican Girls' Secondary school, Uruagu Nnewi, and the Education Secretary – Diocese of Nnewi (Anglican Communion) expressed shock at what transpired when, in their presence, Mmesoma admitted to manipulating her UTME results in order to deceive the school, her immediate family, and the State Government.

"Committee Findings: The results released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) regarding Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma's UTME score is 249."

"The results paraded by Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma with an aggregate score of 362 1s are fake as buttressed by the very significant and instructive variations in the registration number, date of birth, centre name, and other Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma admitted that she manipulated the fake results herself," according to the report.

According to the tribunal, the principal of Anglican Girls' Secondary School, Mrs. Edu Uche, and the education secretary for the Diocese of Nnewi (Anglican Communion) were appalled by Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma's behavior.

Confession and the Panel's Report Have Exonerated Us, Declares JAMB.

JAMB's position that Mmesoma falsified the UTME result in which she scored 360 has been vindicated by the investigative report's conclusion, the board said.

According to a statement released by its Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the examination body pledged to continue its efforts to clean up the public examination industry.

The statement read, in part, "The report of the Commission of Inquiry established by the Anambra State Government, an independent and impartial authority, as demanded by certain Nigerians to investigate the Mmesoma saga, has vindicated the Board. This has strengthened the Board's stance that its system is not and cannot be compromised.

"It should be emphasized that, over the years, the Board has earned a reputation for conducting credible examinations and cannot afford to fail the nation at this crucial juncture in its development.

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JAMB explained, "Therefore, despite the painful realization that some Nigerians would do anything to tarnish the Board's reputation, we will not despair."

JAMB appealed to well-intentioned Nigerians, who may wish to support and encourage healthy competition by awarding scholarships and other honors to meritorious candidates, to not be deterred, but to always attempt to verify from us any claim, regardless of how innocuous, made by candidates.

It advised that Mmesoma's case should serve as a wake-up call for those who believe that anything goes in Nigeria, adding that the agency has tremendous potential.

Innoson Withdraws Funding

In the meantime, Innoson Vehicles has revoked the N3 million scholarship awarded to Ejikeme after she admitted to forging her UTME results.

In a statement released yesterday by the head of corporate communications at Innoson Vehicles, Cornel Osigwe, the company said it had made the "difficult decision" to revoke the scholarship "in light of the confirmed findings."

"Over the past few days, we have been investigating allegations regarding the 2023 UTME examination results of one of our scholarship recipients, Miss Joy Mmesoma Ejikeme. It was initially reported that Miss Joy scored exceptionally well on the exam, a feat which resulted in her receiving a scholarship from our company," the company stated.

"The results of this exhaustive investigation confirm that Miss Joy Mmesoma Ejikeme manipulated her UTME scores," This conclusion is extremely disheartening and directly contradicts the values we hold dear at Innoson Vehicles, especially those that underpin our scholarship program.

"In accordance with these principles and in light of the confirmed findings, we've made the difficult decision to revoke the scholarship awarded to Miss Joy Mmesoma Ejikeme. "This action exemplifies our unwavering commitment to honesty, integrity, and recognition based on merit," the company explained.

I Support the Sanctions of JAMB, Says Ezekwesili

In addition, the former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has expressed her satisfaction with the panel's findings and supported the sanctions imposed by JAMB against the candidate.

"It was necessary to have independent proof that the result Mmesoma claimed publicly was not only fabricated but that she personally orchestrated the forgery," she wrote yesterday on Twitter.

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Mmesoma's actions have consequences, according to Ezekwesili, who supports the sanctions imposed by JAMB.

She stated, "I, therefore, support the sanctions imposed by JAMB as a deterrent to all those who engage in systemic exam malpractices within our educational system."

Dr.Garba Abari, Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), exhorted Nigerians to have faith in the nation's institutions by avoiding negative comments on social media whenever they are embroiled in controversies.

Abari, who made the appeal yesterday at a capacity building on Fact-checking organized by the NOA in Abuja, characterized such action as a threat to the integrity of the Nigerian education sector.

"We must have faith in the legitimacy of our national institutions. Where there are internal rules and regulations, the public should not circumvent readily investigateable issues. Let's wait until the investigation is complete before making any threatening remarks."