By Praise Chinecherem
Anambra State Government has instituted a panel of inquiry into the controversy trailing the highest scorer in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Miss Ejikeme Joy Nmesoma, student of Anglican Girls Secondary School Uruagu, Nnewi, had earlier been celebrated after being announced as the highest scorer in the UTME with 362 aggregate.
But Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in a statement on Sunday said Mmesoma’s 362 score in the exam was fake, alleging that she manually inflated her result from 249 to 362 which she used to attract a N3million scholarship.
Education Commissioner, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh in a statement, regretted that the development was very embarrassing, coming at a time when the Soludo led administration is repositioning in her avowed determination to get education right in the State.
“Security agents are investigating the allegation of falsification of result levelled against Ejikeme Mmesoma, who had earlier been showcased in the social media as having scored the highest,” she said.
Meanwhile, the government has continued to celebrate Nkechinyere Umeh, who was declared the highest by JAMB, having scored a cummulative mark of 360.
Chuma-Udeh said Nkechinyere Umeh’s celebration followed declaration by JAMB that she scored the highest in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME).
“The JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede had disclosed in Abuja at the 2023 Policy Meeting for Tertiary Institutions, that Nkechinyere Umeh scored 360 marks to emerge the best.
“A certificate alledged to be fake was presented by Mmesoma Ejikeme, who was earlier paraded as the best in various social media platforms; but security agents are investigating the matter,” she added.
