JAMB Result: Chidoka Urges Nmesoma to Come Clean, Explain How She Got Fake Result

•Candidate admits she got JAMB text message showing she scored 249 

•Anambra govt distances self from exam body’s claim against Nmesoma 

•School: We’ll accept outcome of DSS, Anambra govt investigation

•House tells JAMB to suspend all actions pertaining to alleged result manipulation, to investigate alleged special centres

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka, Kuni Tyessi and Juliet Akoje in Abuja

Former Aviation Minister a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Osita Chidoka, yesterday advised candidate that was alleged to have falsified her 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result, Nmesoma Ejikeme, to, “come clean and explain how she got that result and who led her down that path,” saying that the result she had been parading with a score of 362 was fake.

This was just as Nmesoma, during an interview on Channels Television yesterday, admitted that she received an automated text message from JAMB indicating that her score was 249.

Chidoka, who commented on the raging issue on his Facebook page, pointed out that the candidate, “took her 2023 JAMB at my foundation’s Computer-Based Testing (CBT) Center at Obosi.”

He explained: “I got some calls from worried friends about Nmesoma’s result, which had Thomas Chidoka Center as her examination center. I allayed their worries that the result issue had nothing to do with the examination center.

“I observed two significant red flags when I saw her result online. First, our center is no longer addressed as Thomas Chidoka Center for Human Development on the JAMB portal since 2021.

“The correct name on the JAMB portal and Main Examination Slip is Nkemefuna Foundation (Thomas Chidoka Center for Human Development). Due to the difference in our CAC registration details, JAMB insisted we change to Nkemefuna Foundation with Thomas Chidoka in a bracket as an identifier. We implemented the name change in 2021.

“Her result showing Thomas Chidoka without the Nkemefuna Foundation, which was on her Main Examination slip, raised my suspicion about the genuineness of the result.”

He added: “The second red flag was the result template. A cursory review of some of those who took the last examination at our center showed a different result slip template with the candidate’s passport picture, JAMB watermarks, and no mention of the name of the examination center.

“I gave the young Nmesoma the benefit of the doubt and waited to see if she would explain how she got the result, which is obviously not the result template that Jamb used in 2023. I knew it was fake.”

The former FRSC boss noted that his Center had been involved with the JAMB CBT examination since 2016, “and I have come to trust the integrity of the JAMB online examination platform.” “As Corps Marshal in 2011, I used JAMB to conduct the FRSC recruitment exercise that is still adjudged a high-water mark in public sector recruitment. Those recruited through that process wear their uniform with pride and continue to deliver value to the organisation to this day.

“For me, the real issue in this saga is the level of distrust of our national institutions. The social media frenzy and denigration of JAMB, together with the ethnic slant of a simple issue with clear and verifiable methods of resolution, is symptomatic of the deep distrust of our national institutions.

“This distrust was deepened in the past eight years with a horrifying descent of issues to our national fault lines. The Ethnicisation of the issue is sad and disappointing,” he added.

Chidoka, commended the examination body and its officials, saying the exam body came out forcefully and defended its integrity vigorously.

“I was impressed. JAMB’s reaction and responsiveness should be made a minimum benchmark for government agencies. Our universities should write case studies of this saga so other institutions can learn how to navigate social media and information management in the face of unrelenting attacks.

“For Nmesoma, she should come clean and explain how she got that result and who led her down that path. If she does that, I will lend my voice to beg JAMB to note her age and show more leniency,” he added.

Meanwhile, the candidate has confirmed that she received an automated text message from JAMB indicating that her score was 249.

Nmesoma, made this known during an interview on Channels Television.

Speaking during the interview, Mmesoma said the only SMS she sent to JAMB was through its support system: “That’s the only SMS I sent there.”

 Asked if she got any feedback, she said, “They didn’t reply. If they check their JAMB Support System, they would see that I sent a text message. They didn’t reply.”

On the claim that she used an Airtel line, Mmesoma replied: “Yes,” but she added it was “not through USSD code”.

“The one I checked through the USSD code is the one of 360 that I saw,” she explained further.

Responding to the claim that the feedback from JAMB showed her score as 249, she agreed.

“Yes,” she said. “After all was said and done, I now saw that I got 249. I sent them a text message there to know what really happened — the JAMB Support System. If they go to their system, they will see it there” she said.

Before her interview, the board had placed a three years ban on the candidate.

However, Anambra State government has distanced itself from claims by JAMB, that Mmesoma’s result was fake.

The commissioner for information, Mr. Paul Nwosu, in a press release yesterday, said investigation was still ongoing, on what transpired about the result, when JAMB made a press release labelling the result as fake.

The commissioner said this was more so, when it was the student and her school that came to the commissioner to report that she got 362, while JAMB was recognising someone who scored 360 as the highest scorer.

Nwosu said the Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, had 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 press release disclaiming the student’s result.”

He said a full investigation had been launched. He named the members of the committee investigating the result on behalf of Anambra government 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.”

Also, the Bishop of Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Nnewi Diocese, Rt Revd Ndubuisi Chukwuka Obi has stated that the church would accept any outcome of the investigation into authentic JAMB score of one of her students.

The church is the owner of Anglican Girls Secondary School, AGSS, Nnewi.

The Synod Secretary of the diocese, Venerable Godfrey Motuanya, who spoke to journalists yesterday, on behalf of the bishop said the church has decided to bar the student and the principal from speaking to the media, since the matter was being investigated by both the DSS and the Anambra State government.

“We are a very responsible communion, and we have resolved that since the matter is now being investigated by both the DSS and Anambra State government, there is no need over flogging the matter.

“We will rather wait for the outcome of their investigation, and we will abide by every outcome of the investigation.

“We have nothing to fear, one of the professors appointed into the panel is an Anglican priest. The governor is also the father of the state, so we believe that he will do what is best.

“The girl in question is our daughter. She is from Enugu State, but studies in an Anambra school. The girl who got 360 score too is from Anambra State, so we have nothing to fear. We will abide by whatever outcome that both the DSS and the state government finds out.”

In a related development, the House of Representatives yesterday, directed JAMB to desist from any further action on the matter.

The House said the outcome of its investigation on the matter should be awaited, just as it called on JAMB to lift the sanction barring the student from participating in the examination for three years.

Consequently, the House set up an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the alleged manipulation and report back in three weeks and has also resolved to probe JAMB facilities with a view to averting such a situation in the future.

The lawmakers called for independent examiners to examine the girl’s script to determine her score.

The House has also expanded the scope of the committee to probe issue of special centres for examinations in the country.

The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion on a ‘Call to Investigate Alleged Manipulation of UTME by JAMB by Miss Ejikeme Mmesoma,’ sponsored by Hon. Awaji-Inombek D. Abiante.