Gov Soludo Offers 3Months Psychotherapy Guidance to Mmesoma Ejikeme Following JAMB Result Forgery Incident

The Anambra State Government has stepped into the limelight over a controversial case involving Mmesoma Ejikeme, a 19-year-old student who found herself in a storm of criticism for forging her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result. As announced by the state’s Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, during a press briefing in Awka, Mmesoma is set to undergo a three-month guidance and counselling session with a psychotherapist.

This decision comes after an intensive probe into Mmesoma’s case by a state panel, which then recommended the therapy class as the most appropriate course of action. Mmesoma Ejikeme, previously a student at the Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi, catapulted into the national spotlight after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exposed her for unlawfully inflating her UTME score from 249 to an outstanding 362. This fraudulent act falsely placed Mmesoma as the UTME top scorer for 2023, causing a wave of shock and disappointment across the country.

Prior to her confession, Mmesoma and JAMB engaged in a heated dispute, with accusations being thrown from both sides. In the aftermath of the saga, JAMB imposed a three-year ban on Mmesoma. However, Mmesoma appeared before a panel of the House of Representatives in Abuja on Wednesday, expressing remorse for her actions and pleading for mercy.

The Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, highlighted the state’s intentions in a Thursday press briefing, explaining that a state panel had recommended psychological counselling and therapy for Mmesoma Ejikeme. The teenager’s action was described by the commissioner as an instance of ‘juvenile delinquency,’ a misstep to which any young person could potentially fall victim.

Chuma-Udeh further expressed the state’s empathetic stance, saying, “We are not going to throw the baby away with the bath water. She is now under a psychotherapist counsellor who will take her on therapy for three months after which the state government will appeal to JAMB management on behalf of her to reconsider one or two things.”

In the face of this controversy, the Anambra State Government, particularly Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, received commendations for their handling of the issue. Their decision to offer a psychotherapy class for Mmesoma Ejikeme demonstrates a commitment to understanding and addressing the root causes of such problematic behaviors, with the goal of nurturing and rehabilitating the student. The story of Mmesoma Ejikeme, now turned on its head, will serve as a cautionary tale and potential catalyst for change in the Nigerian education system.