Mmesoma seeks forgiveness at meeting with JAMB boss before Reps panel
Mmesoma seeks forgiveness for emulating public figures who forge biodata
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Mmesoma Ejikeme, the 16-year-old who forged her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result, has again admitted to her crime and sought forgiveness from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The teenager, who was only emulating crime examples set by public figures, from council level right up to Aso Rock who forge certificates and biodata – and often get away with it – made the plea in Abuja when she appeared along with JAMB Registrar Ishaq Oloyede before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on the saga.
She again confessed on Wednesday to manipulating her score from 249 to 362 and to parading herself as the 2023 UTME top scorer, and apologised to JAMB.
Mmesoma had in June first engaged JAMB in accusation and counter-accusation, which led to JAMB banning her from writing its examination for three years – which means she cannot gain admission to a tertiary school for three years.
The debate got heated and the House of Representatives intervened and called for a stay of action on her sanction.
Mmesoma later owned up to her crime before a Commission of Inquiry set up by the Anambra state government.
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Debt of pain
On Wednesday, she tendered her apology in person to Oloyede and other top JAMB officials who appeared along with her before the lawmakers, and pleaded for leniency, urging JAMB to lift the ban on her.
“I feel a debt of pain for letting you down,” she said, per reporting by The PUNCH.
“I have already admitted that what I did was wrong. Based on that, I hereby present to you all, my letter of apology.
“I humbly seek your forgiveness for the mistakes I have made and the pain I have caused.
“I deeply and sincerely agree that I ignorantly got my JAMB result from another portal which was not JAMB portal.
“I apologise for all the apportioned blame and all the pain I have caused.”
Mmesoma stressed ignorance played a “significant role” in the process of obtaining the fake result.
But Oloyede insisted she deliberately conspired with other actors to forge her result.
He disclosed JAMB has shut down more than eight UTME centres over result manipulation.
