By Ayodele Oni
A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has backed the three-year ban placed on Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme for forging her 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB.
She, also, backed the recommendation by the committee set up by the Anambra State Government, that the candidate at the centre of the scam should go for counselling.
In a statement posted on her Twitter account on Saturday, the former Minister said that the embattled Anambra student, Ejikeme Mmesoma who was accused by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, (JAMB) of forging her 2023 UTME results, deserved to be counselled and punished.
Ezekwesili said: “I have just read the report of the Committee set up by Anambra State Government to investigate and report their independent findings on the Mmesoma and JAMB saga.
“I am satisfied with the process and findings of their investigation which gave Mmesoma a fair hearing to enable the Committee gather all facts.
“It was necessary to have independent evidence that the result Mmesoma laid claim to publicly was not only fake but that the forgery was personally orchestrated by her.
“Therefore, I support the sanctions imposed by JAMB as a deterrent to all who participate in the systemic exam malpractices within our educational system.
“I also recommend sustained counseling for Mmesoma by the family, school and church to support her as she reflects on this tragic episode and makes a decision to embrace values and rewards of effort while eschewing dishonest gain for the rest of her life.”
Mmesoma, 19, had claimed she scored 362 marks, and vigorously laid claim to be the highest scorer in the 2023 UTME conducted by JAMB. But her criminal claim was exposed by JAMB which said she scored 249 and inflated it to 362.
“There are usually syndicates at the center of perpetration of exam malpractices in Nigeria, but it appears not to be so in Mmesoma’s case from the facts of the Committee’s report. Mmesoma’s action has consequences.”
