Former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, has expressed her support for the sanctions imposed on Mmesoma Ejikeme by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), News About Nigeria reports.
Amidst the controversy surrounding Mmesoma’s result, with JAMB asserting that she altered her score from 249 to 362, Ezekwesili insisted on a thorough investigation into the matter.
The report from the Anambra State panel, signed by Commissioner for Information Paul Nwosu, implicated Mmesoma, and the former education minister expressed her satisfaction with the fair hearing provided to the student during the process.
As a consequence, JAMB revoked Mmesoma’s result and banned her from taking the examination for the next three years, a course of action that Ezekwesili publicly supported through a Twitter post.
She acknowledged the independent investigation carried out by the Anambra State Government and commended the committee for gathering all the facts surrounding Mmesoma’s case.
Ezekwesili emphasized the importance of independent evidence, stating that Mmesoma’s public claim of having a genuine result was not only false but also a forgery orchestrated by the student herself.
While exam malpractice syndicates are typically involved in such cases, the committee’s report indicated that Mmesoma’s situation did not involve any such syndicate.
The former minister stressed that Mmesoma’s actions have consequences, and she, therefore, supports the sanctions imposed by JAMB as a deterrent against participation in systemic exam malpractice within the Nigerian educational system.
Additionally, she recommended ongoing counseling for Mmesoma from her family, school, and church.
