Romanus Ejikeme, the father of Mmesoma Ejikeme, the candidate implicated in the forged 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result, has offered his apologies to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Nigerian public.

In a recent interview with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Mr. Ejikeme expressed his disappointment in his daughter for not disclosing the truth to him earlier, leaving him unaware of the situation.

“My daughter did not open up to me on time,” he told the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). “When I realised her mistake, I blamed her. I told her, Mmesoma, be careful. ‘You know you are a star and should not dent your image.” “But I am still apologising to JAMB and Nigerians as a father to pardon her,” he added.

False Claim Unveiled

Back in May, Mmesoma, a student at the Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi, Anambra State, asserted that she had achieved the highest score in the 2023 UTME with 362 out of 400 marks. This claim propelled her into the limelight, receiving praise for her apparent achievement.

However, JAMB later accused her of manipulating the UTME result and inflating her score from 249 to 362. Mmesoma insisted that 362 was the score she had obtained through both the JAMB portal and an SMS sent by the examination body.

Consequently, JAMB invalidated her UTME result, barred her from future tests for three years, and labeled her score as fraudulent. In a video that went viral on Monday, Mmesoma maintained her stance, asserting that the controversial score of 362 was printed from the JAMB website, leaving her traumatized. Numerous Nigerians called for an independent investigation into the matter.

To address the controversy, the Anambra State Government established an eight-member panel of inquiry led by Professor Nkemdili Nnonyelu. On Friday, the panel confirmed that Mmesoma had indeed forged the 362 score, as previously alleged by JAMB. The report, consisting of eight pages, revealed that she had personally manipulated the result before seeking its printing at a cyber cafe.

Father’s Account

In response, Mr. Ejikeme revealed that his daughter initially deceived him when questioned about the contentious UTME score. “My daughter didn’t come clean with me right away. She didn’t,” he disclosed to the Nigeria Television Authority on Saturday. “When I became aware of her mistake, I reprimanded her severely, emphasizing that she should not engage in such actions.” Mr. Ejikeme admitted to frequently cautioning his 19-year-old daughter against tarnishing her reputation.

“I continue to apologize to JAMB and Nigerians, asking for leniency,” he concluded, speaking as her father.

(Premium Times)