Ejikeme appealed to the JAMB boss to temper justice with mercy by reducing the punishment given to her.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Anambra student, Mmesoma Ejikeme, on Wednesday begged the registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Ishaq Oloyede, to forgive her and review the three-year ban placed on her.
The teenager falsified her 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result but initially denied it.
JAMB said she inflated her score from 249 to 362, adding that she claimed she had the best UTME result for 2023 nationwide. Ms Ejikeme replied that she was “traumatised” by the allegation levelled against her.
She, however, admitted forging her scores during an investigation by an eight-member panel set up by Anambra State Government.
The House of Representatives subsequently set up a committee to investigate the matter, urging JAMB to halt sanctions against the candidate.
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Ejikeme appeared before the committee on Wednesday with her father and lawyer to give her testimony.
Wearing a yellow dress, she read a prepared letter addressed to the JAMB registrar. In the letter, she admitted having committed the forgery, blaming “ignorance” for her action.
Ejikeme appealed to the JAMB boss to temper justice with mercy by reducing the punishment given to her.
“I strongly seek your forgiveness for the mistake I made,” she said, adding that “words alone cannot describe the pain feel for letting you down. This is the first time in my life and academic journey that I will be accused of wrongdoing.”
Ejikeme and her father were allowed to leave to catch a flight.