Former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, has backed the sanctions imposed on Mmesoma Ejikeme by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for faking her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result.
She spoke against the backdrop of report submitted by the Anambra State Committee of Inquiry, which confirmed that Mmesoma, a student of Anglican Girls Secondary School, Nnewi, admitted manipulating the result using her phone.
Ezekwesili had insisted that a proper investigation into the fraud allegation be carried out following JAMB’s withdrawal of Mmesoma’s result and consequently barred her from writing the examination for the next three years.
However, in a Twitter post on Saturday, July 8, 2023, Ezekwesili confirmed being in support of the sanctions, saying; “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.”
According to her, “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.”
Recall that JAMB had insisted the result was manipulated to change her actual score of 249 to 362.
Ezekwesili had then demanded that proper investigation be carried out to ascertain all the facts concerning the case.
The former Education Minister expressed satisfaction that the process gave the embattled Mmesoma a fair hearing as the Anambra State panel report, signed by the Commissioner for Information, Paul Nwosu, indicted her.
The full statement by the former Minister entitled; “Mmesoma and @JAMBHQ Saga” read thus: “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 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.
“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.
“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.
“I do hope that the lessons of this case will help all our 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 our 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.” ✍🏾✍🏾✍🏾
Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili
Former Minister of Education
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