By correspondent.
Mmesoma Ejikeme.
Mr Romanus Ejikeme, the father of Mmesoma Ejikeme, the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate who falsified her JAMB result, has tendered an unreserved apology to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Nigerians for the dishonest behaviour of his daughter.
Ejikeme, who earlier accused JAMB of pulling his daughter down said, his daughter lied to him initially.
He,however, maintained that he didn’t know where his daughter registered for the examination but that he gave her the money for the registration.
Reacting to Ejikeme’s apology, JAMB said it had been “vindicated” over its result manipulation allegations levelled against Mmesoma Ejikeme regarding the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) issue.
Our correspondent recalls that JAMB was initially under fire from some certain quarters in the country, accusing it for declaring Mmesoma a fraud.
But the examination body in a statement on Saturday said it “will not despair in spite of the painful realisation that some Nigerians would do anything to cast aspersions on the good name of the Board.”
“The report of the Commission of Inquiry, set up by the Anambra State Government, an independent and unbiased body, as demanded by some Nigerians, to look into the Mmesoma saga has vindicated the Board.
“This has further reinforced the position of the Board that, its system was not and cannot be compromised. It is to be noted that the Board has built a reputation in terms of the conduct of credible examinations over the years and cannot afford to fail the nation at this critical juncture of its development.
“Therefore, we will not despair in spite of the painful realisation that some Nigerians would do anything to cast aspersions on the good name of the Board.
“However, in spite of all the posturing of its detractors, the Board remains resolute and uncompromising in its commitment to give Nigeria the best as far as credible and fair assessment is concerned.
“In fact, the Board is more than ever determined to continue to forge ahead, unmindful of the shenanigan of those who desire its fall,” the examination body said .
JAMB,therefore, warned candidates to stay away from fraudulent Apps that promise to enhance their scores, stressing that “the end result will always be anguish and misery.”
Our correspondent reports that the committee set up by the Anambra State governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, to investigate the circumstances in connection with the trending result saga, indicted Mmesoma of manipulating her examination result.
The Anambra State government stated that Mmessoma ,19, admitted to the investigation panel, set up on the controversy that trailed her UTME result, that she inflated her result from her actual score of 249 to 362,“unaided”.
The state government had set up an eight-man panel made up of five professors, led by Prof. A. U Nonyelu of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, to find out Mmesoma’s actual score in the UTME following her claim that she topped in the examination with 362.
Following her admission of guilt, the investigation committee recommended that Mmessoma should tender a written apology to the JAMB, the Anambra State government and her school, Anglican Girls Secondary school, Uruagu, Nnewi for dragging their names to the mud.
The panel also recommended that she should undergo psychological counselling and therapy.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
