By Ifeizu Joe
Anambra State government has distanced itself from claims by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), that the rest of Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme, a student of Anglican Girls Secondary School (AGSS), Nnewi is fake.
The commissioner for information, Mr Paul Nwosu in a press release on Wednesday said investigation was still ongoing on what transpired about the result, when JAMB made a press release condemning the rest as being fake.
The commissioner said this was moreso, when it was the student and her school that came to the commissioner to report that she got 362, while JAMB was recognizing someone who scored 360 as the highest scorer.
Nwosu said the Anambra State commissioner for education called JAMB to intervene in the matter, but the board involved Department of States Services (DSS) to investigate the result, but even before investigation started, JAMB made a release and disclaimed the student’s result.
He said a full investigation has been launched. He named the members of the committee investigating the result on behalf of Anambra govt to include: Prof. Nkemdili Nnonyelu (Chairman), Prof. Mercy Okonkwo – member, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh – member, Prof. Maduabuchi Dukor – member, Prof. Jaja Nwanegbo – member, Rev. Sr. Prof. Mary-Felicia Opara – member, Rev. Cannon Dr. Uchenna Umeifekwem – member, and Mr. Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata (MD, Anambra Information Communication Technology Agency) – member.
Nwosu’s release read: “Anambra State Government has, for obvious reasons, been following the JAMB/Mmesoma Ejike matter with keen interest.
“It’s important to note that Miss Mmesoma Ejike went to the office of the Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh with her UTME result to protest that the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) didn’t recognise her as the candidate with the highest score.
“The Commissioner in turn called JAMB to confirm her claim but she was told that Mmesoma’s result was forged.
“It was at this point that JAMB authorities invited the Directorate of State Services (DSS) to investigate the matter and make its findings known.
“This was yet to happen when JAMB went public with the matter, thus eliciting the raucous conversations we’ve seen in the media.”
