A former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, says she is backing the sanctions imposed on Mmesoma Ejikeme by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for faking her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result.
This follows the report of the Anambra State Committee of Inquiry which confirmed that the student of Anglican Girls Secondary School, Nnewi admitted that she manipulated her result using her phone.
While the controversy over Mmesoma’s result was raging with JAMB insisting that she manipulated her result changing her actual score of 249 to 362, Ezekwesili had insisted that a proper investigation into the matter must be carried out.
With the report of the Anambra State panel which was signed by the Commissioner for Information, Paul Nwosu, indicting Mmesoma, the former education minister said she is satisfied with the process which gave the student a fair hearing.
JAMB had withdrawn Mmesoma’s result and consequently barred her from writing the examination for the next three years, sanctions Ezekwesili in a Twitter post on Saturday said she is in support of.
“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 to 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.
“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. I therefore support the sanctions imposed by JAMB as a deterrent to all who participate in the systemic exam malpractices within our educational system.” Ezekwesili wrote.
She also recommended sustained counselling for Mmesoma by the family, school and church, saying that she hopes that the lessons of this case will help all pupils, students, parents, guardians and the public at large renew a collective commitment to uphold Exam Integrity in Nigeria as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s Values and Reward System for its children and youth.
“I wish to thank JAMB for their good work and encourage the Registrar and his team to continue with their critical service to our country and people as we all join them to sustain raising of awareness on Exam Integrity,” she added.