The Anambra state government has set up a panel of inquiry to investigate allegations that Ejikeme Mmesoma manipulated her 2023 UTME result.
Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, the state commissioner for education, broke the news in a statement on Monday.
Mmesoma, a student of Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi, Anambra, has been in the news over the claim that she got 362 in this year’s UTME.
On Sunday, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said the student was not the top scorer as claimed, adding that she actually got 249 in the exam.
The board said the student allegedly manipulated her result to “deceive the public to fraudulently obtain a scholarship and other recognitions”.
JAMB also vowed to prosecute the student and others that allegedly manipulated their results in due course.
Addressing this, the commissioner described the controversy surrounding the student’s UTME score as “embarrassing”.
“A panel of inquiry has been set up to work with security agents to investigate the allegation of falsification of result levelled against Mmesoma Ejikeme, who had earlier been showcased in the social media as having scored the highest,” she said.
Chuma-Udeh said the development was unfortunate at a time Chukwuma Soludo, the governor, is repositioning the education sector in the state.
The state government earlier awarded a scholarship to Nkechinyere Umeh, the overall best candidate in the 2023 UTME.
Umeh, also a native of Anambra, scored 360 during the exam.
