An investigation has been ordered by Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State into the controversy surrounding the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UMTE) result of Ejikeme Mmeoma, a student from the state who took the last JAMB examination.
On Sunday, July 2, LIB reported that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) released a statement announcing its intention to prosecute Ms Ejikeme for falsification of result. According to the board, Ejikeme scored 249 in the examination as opposed to the 362 she claimed. The founder of Innoson Motors, Innocent Chukwum, had granted her a N3 million scholarship for her supposed achievement. The Anambra state government was also planning to honor her for purportedly emerging as the top scorer.
In a statement released on July 3, the Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, stated that the State government had established a panel of inquiry to investigate the controversy.
“A panel of inquiry has been set up to work with security agents to investigate the allegation of falsification of result against Mmesoma Ejikeme, who had earlier been showcased on social media as having scored the highest.”
The commissioner described the controversy surrounding the girl’s result as embarrassing, particularly at a time when Governor Chukwuma Soludo is repositioning the education sector in Anambra State.
However, she commended Nkechinyere Umeh, who was declared by JAMB as the highest scorer nationwide with a cumulative mark of 360 in the 2023 UTME.