Anambra Commissioner Adopts Embattled UTME Candidate

The Commissioner for Education in Anambra State, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh has adopted Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme, the embattled student of Anglican Girls Secondary School, Nnewi, who tampered with her 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), result to emerge the highest scorer in the examination.

The commissioner, who spoke in Awka, said she adopted Mmesoma to help her actualise her dreams in life.

Mmesoma made the headlines in Nigeria after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) revealed that she manipulated her UTME score from 249 to 362, and falsely parading herself as UTME highest scorer for 2023.

In fact, JAMB slammed a three-year ban on Mmesoma to serve as a deterrent to others after investigating her.

Chuma-Udeh had invited Mmesoma to her office in the heat of the controversy and subsequently handed her over to the men of the Directorate of State Security (DSS) who questioned her over the incident.

But while receiving an award in her office, Chuma-udeh explained that she adopted Mmesoma to see her through school.

She said: “Mmesoma is not the first person I am adopting. Even as a lecturer, I was adopting children and training them through schools. 

“Mmesoma is doing very well and she is still undergoing a psychotherapy class with the state appointed psychotherapist.

“I decided to adopt to adopt her to help her actualize her dreams. She is a human being. So, we cannot throw her away just like that. 

 “We are not going to let her down. We are still pleading with JAMB to reconsider its decision concerning her.

“Governor Chukwuma Soludo is very passionate about every citizen in Anambra State and so, we will train her through her education.”