Miss Mmesoma Joy Ejikeme, a 19-year-old student of Anglican Girls Secondary School (AGSS), Nnewi, Anambra State some time ago publicly declared that she had the highest score of 362 out of 400 marks in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The claim which was made on social media trended for weeks. She immediately became a celebrity and role model for achieving this feat.
Celebration erupted over the excellent performance of Miss Mmesoma Ejikeke. The Anambra State Government, corporate bodies, and individuals celebrated the brilliant student and promised scholarships and other support. To appreciate her “excellent performance,” Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company pledged three million nairas in scholarships. The Anambra State Government, however, decided to tread with caution, by first seeking confirmation of the result from JAMB.
In response to the inquiry made by the Anambra State Government, JAMB on July 2 issued a statement disclaiming and denouncing Mmesoma’s result as fake. JAMB said no candidate scored more than 360. It published the name of Umeh Kamsiyochukwu Nkechinyere of Deeper Life High School, Mowe, Ogun State as the best candidate, having the highest score of 360 out of 400 marks. JAMB stated emphatically that Miss Ejikeme had forged her result and that she might have been a victim of scammers. JAMB said a copy of the notification of the result exhibited by the candidate in the video was defaced and designed in an outdated format. It argued that the result slip Mmesoma was brandishing had been phased out since 2021. It accused her of likely membership of a “high-level syndicate responsible for producing fake results. The spokesman for JAMB also said the issue had been referred to security agencies for investigation. He said JAMB’s investigation revealed that Mmesoma’s correct score was 249.
Mmesaoma fought back setting the social media alight with videos that went viral, and her story made headlines. In a swift reaction to JAMB’s claim of forgery, Mmesoma made a video on July 3 and maintained her innocence, reiterating her claim that she got the result from the JAMB portal as well as received an SMS from the examination body which confirmed that she scored 362. In her words:
“I printed the result from the JAMB portal.’ They now saying that I forged my result is what I don’t know. I am traumatized that they accuse me of forging my result. I am not capable of forging result.”
In all of this, her father, Mr. Romanus Ejikeme, was solidly behind her. He stood up for his daughter boisterously and constantly professed her innocence. According to Mr. Ejikeme, this was a case of foul play but said they will not go to court. He further pleaded with JAMB not to kill his daughter’s talents, claiming “My daughter is brilliant, and has always been topping her class.” Mr. Ejikeme insisted that there was a conspiracy to deny his daughter of her success.
On July 4, JAMB announced that it had withdrawn Mmesoma’s authentic score of 249 and barred her from participation in its examination for the next three years. She appeared on national television to argue her case. On July 5, Mmesoma appeared to have acknowledged her score of 249. But said the ban on her by JAMB was unfair. Speaking on Channels television she said:
“If they check their JAMB Support System, they would see that I sent a test message. They didn’t reply. The one I checked through the USSD code is the one of 362 that I saw. After all, was said and done, I now saw that I got 249. I sent them a text message there to know what happened. If they go to their system (the JAMB Support System), they will see it there.”
The House of Representatives was dragged into the controversy. At its plenary on July 5, the House adopted a motion by Honourable Awaji-Inombek Abiante urging JAMB to suspend the punishment announced against Mmesoma.
Nigerians who were tracking the scenario as it unfolded were divided along ethnic, political, primordial, and sentimental lines. The back and forth of the case revealed a deep-rooted polarization in Nigeria. To many onlookers, young Mmesoma was being victimized because of her tribe. Her claims brought the examination body under public scrutiny and disrepute. Many called on the federal government to get rid of JAMB altogether. They see the processes and procedures in JAMB as flawed. The organization itself should be up for investigation, some have argued. Many of her supporters, including prominent lawyers advised her family to go to court. According to a lawyer, Paula Adams:
“Every individual deserves the right to a fair and impartial legal process.
“In the case of Ejikeme Mmesoma, who has been accused by JAMB of forging a result, it is crucial to ensure justice is served. As a lawyer, I firmly believe in the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
“I will support Ejikeme in pursuing her legal rights by taking the matter to court. It is the responsibility of the court to carefully examine the evidence presented and make an impartial judgment. Let us trust in the legal system to provide a fair resolution of this case.”
Amid the claims and counterclaims, the Chief Executive Officer of Innosn Motors, Innocent Chukwuma, who had awarded Mmesoma a scholarship of three million naira called for an investigation. Following the controversy, the Anambra State Commissioner for Education said a committee had been established to unravel the issues. According to the statement issued by the Commissioner, “A panel of inquiry has been set up to work with security agents to investigate the allegation of falsification of result leveled against Mmesoma Ejikeme, who had earlier been showcased in the social media as having scored the highest.” On July 5, an eight-member committee of inquiry, consisting of eminent scholars and ICT experts was established to examine the controversy and unravel the mystery surrounding the result. The committee examined all information and facts presented by JAMB and Miss Mmesoma and found her guilty of forgery.
On July 8, Mmesona finally accepted responsibility for her actions and confessed to forging her JAMB UTME score. In an eight-page report, the committee disclosed that she falsified the result. In her confession to the committee, she said she used her mobile phone to manipulate the result and had done so unaided. Her confession vindicated JAMB which had accused her of bloating her UTME score and maliciously claiming to be the highest scorer. JAMB had said she manually amplified her score from 249 to 362 and thus showcased herself as the best candidate in the UTME 2023. The committee recommended that she should tender a candid apology in writing to JAMB, her school (Anglican Girls Secondary School, Uruagu, Nnewi), and the Anambra State Government.
The case ended on a bad note for Mmesoma, who disgraced everybody, mainly her father, her school, the Anambra State Government, and the millions of Nigerians who stood by her. Her father retracted his assertions when the committee indicted Mmesoma. According to Mr. Ejikeme, his daughter lied to him.
This event has raised serious moral, ethical, and possibly legal issues and speaks volumes about our social fabric and value system. What motivated Mmesoma to falsify her result and to defend the fraudulent conduct at any cost is still not clear. Was it for self-aggrandizement or economic gains? We may never know the truth. Innoson Motors has already withdrawn the scholarship offered to her. That is why some prominent Nigerians, who believed her story and supported her, have recommended that she should go for counseling. The Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has directed that Mmesoma Joy Ejikeme should undergo immediate psychological counseling and therapy session. He said she should be handed over to the State Guidance Counselor and Professor of Clinical Psychology.
Now who is to take the blame for this national shame – the girl, her family, school, JAMB, the society, or our value system? Please have your say on our global conversation.
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