19th July, 2023
By Femi Ogunshola
Miss Ejikeme Mmesoma, a 19-year-old student from Anambra State who recently faked the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) result to claim the number one position, has written to the examination body asking for leniency from the Board.
Mmesoma had manipulated her 2023 Tertiary and Matriculation Examination (UTME) result, claiming to have scored 362 as against her actual score of 249.
She presented her letter of apology before the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee in charge of her case in Abuja on Wednesday.
Mmesoma said she admitted that what she did was wrong, adding that, it was the reason she came to present her letter of apology, titled “Letter of Profound Apology”.
According to her, “I humbly seek your forgiveness for the mistake I made, I sincerely agree that I got the JAMB result from another portal in the course of this, I lambasted JAMB, I apologise.”
She said, “Ignorance played a significant role in my action, words cannot describe the depth of pain in my heart. This is the first time I will be doing this, I have never engaged in falsification or any misdemeanour”.
She said it was not in her character to manipulate results and bring public institutions to ridicule, adding that she had embraced genuine repentance.
Mmesoma said she would willingly accept the recommendation of the ad-hoc committee, adding that she had accepted to rectify her mistake and become a better person.
In her words, “I want you to tamper justice with mercy.”
Prof Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar, JAMB, said Mmesoma manipulated her result, aided by the centre where she wrote the exam, adding that the centre had been banned for aiding and abetting fraud.
He said eight centres in Anambra State are currently under investigation over Mmesoma’s case, adding that contrary to insinuations, there was no loophole in JAMB.
He called on the public to be careful in making unfounded statements and have confidence in public institutions while commending JAMB in its processes and procedures.
According to him, JAMB has introduced an innovation that will help to reduce human interference in its operational processes, thereby raising public confidence.
He said, “Mmesoma’s case was an amateur, there was one falsification by a candidate that I almost went mad.”
Rep. Sanda Soli, the Chairman of the Committee, urged Mmesoma to restitute her ways and not allow such misconduct again.
“You are one of the high scorers, don’t ever think of doing bad things to achieve anything ever again,” he said.
(NAN)