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Controversial Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate, Ejikeme Mmesoma, has been transferred to a psychotherapist for three months of guidance and counselling coaching by the Anambra State government.
This decision was announced by the state Commissioner for Education, Prof Ngozi Theresa Chuma-Udeh during a media chat with journalists in Awka on Wednesday, July 19, 2023.
The 19-year-old student of Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi had caused a national hoopla after claiming to have scored 362 in 2023 UTME, as against her official score of 249 recorded by JAMB.
Mmesoma doubled down on her claim in a viral video in which she brandished a result purportedly obtained from the JAMB portal and went as far as accusing the exam body of maligning her character.
However, JAMB provided overwhelming evidence to substantiate its stance, including the record of how the embattled candidate made several requests for her result via its automated SMS-based service, which repeatedly responded with a score of 249.
Cornered by the glaring evidence, Mmesoma made a U-turn and confessed to a committee set up by the Anambra State government to investigate the incident that she indeed used her phone to manipulate the result.
Mmesoma undergoing psychological cleansing
After her confession, Mmesoma has also tendered an apology to JAMB in a letter she publicly read during her appearance before a House of Representatives ad-hoc committee in Abuja on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State government said she will undergo a therapy class for three months as recommended by the panel that looked into the controversy surrounding her JAMB result.
Chuma-Udeh stated that the panel, after finding Mmesoma guilty, recommended that “she should undergo psychological counselling and therapy”.
According to the education commissioner, the psychotherapist would engage Mmesoma in a range of learning experiences, including group work, case studies, problem-solving exercises, enquiry-based and experiential learning, as well as the more traditional lecture-based approach.
She will reportedly also be encouraged to participate in a student-peer mentoring programme with the opportunity to act as a mentor for other students.
Chuma-Udeh disclosed that the psychological cleansing commenced last week and sessions will be held twice a week for three months.
“We considered what Mmesoma did as ‘juvenile delinquency’ which any child could fall victim to. So 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.”