The father of Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme, Mr. Romanus Ejikeme, has alleged that there is a sinister plot to deprive his daughter of the hard-earned academic achievement she attained with a claimed score of 362 in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that while responding to allegations by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) that his daughter had forged the score, Ejikeme defended her, citing her consistent academic brilliance throughout her educational journey, starting from her days in nursery school.
According to Ejikeme, Mmesoma has consistently secured the first position in her classes, demonstrating her exceptional academic prowess. Hailing from Oduma in Aninri local government, Enugu State, the Ejikeme family currently resides in Uruagu, Nnewi.
Ejikeme said, “Mmesoma is my first child. She has consistently excelled academically since her time at Ogbunike Central School, where she consistently claimed the top spot. Even when she transferred to Anglican Girls Secondary School from Oba Girls Secondary School, her previous teachers from Oba Girls beseeched me to keep her there due to the recognition she brought to their institution.”
“When she was at Oba Girls Secondary school, Mmesoma was representing the school in competitions. So when she changed to Anglican Girls Secondary school, her teachers in Oba Girls came and pleaded with me, begging me to retain her in their school because she was promoting the name of their school.
“Mmesoma cannot manipulate her UTME score. I don’t believe what they are saying.
“They just want to transfer that scholarship to another person. That is why they are saying that Mmesoma did not make that score.
“It is even her (Mmesoma’s) friends that saw her score in internet and started calling her before she went and printed it out. We have the printout with us now”
The concerned father lamented the emotional toll the situation has taken on his daughter, noting that she has been feeling distressed and even shedding tears since her visit to the Anambra State Commissioner of Education, followed by her subsequent detainment at the Department of State Services (DSS) office.
In response to these allegations, the state’s commissioner of education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Ude, remarked on the matter. Chuma-Ude confirmed that the state government had initially congratulated Mmesoma when her purported score of 362 was widely shared on social media platforms, proclaiming her as the top scorer in the 2023 UTME. However, upon further investigation, it was discovered that the highest score in the 2023 UTME was 360, and it was another student from the state, Miss Nkechinyere Umeh, who achieved that score.
Chuma-Ude revealed that Mmesoma, accompanied by Very Reverend Nduka and her school principal, visited her office in Awka to protest the government’s subsequent congratulations extended to Miss Nkechinyere Umeh. Upon scrutinising Mmesoma’s JAMB result slip, the commissioner noticed that the displayed result belonged to the 2021 UTME, raising suspicions.
Chuma-Ude said she contacted the secretary of JAMB, who confirmed that the highest score in the 2023 UTME was indeed 360. Consequently, the Department of State Services (DSS) was summoned to investigate the issue further.
To ensure Mmesoma’s well-being, Chuma-Ude ensured her release to return home. The commissioner said the investigation is ongoing, with all relevant parties cooperating to uncover the truth behind the conflicting claims.
