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Controversial Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate, Mmesoma Ejikeme Joy, has lost the ₦3 million scholarship awarded to her by an automobile company.
This comes following Mmesoma's confession that she actually inflated her UTME score of 249 to 362.
The pupil had in May announced that she scored 362 in the examination, making her the purported best candidate for the year. The news was greeted with instant wide celebrations as many Nigerians showered her with encomiums on social media.
Amidst the excitement, the management of Innoson Automobile Company awarded the student a ₦3m scholarship, even though her claim had not been confirmed by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
JAMB says Mmesoma forged UTME result
In a plot twist, JAMB announced last weekend that the candidate indeed falsified her result with the intention to mislead the public.
This comes after the exam body confirmed Kamsiyochukwu Umeh Precious, with a total score of 360, as the official overall best candidate for 2023.
JAMB added that Mmesoma's result bearing 249 marks has been withdrawn and that she has been banned for three years from writing the examination as punishment for her transgression.
The decision sparked mixed reactions among Nigerians, with the company's Head, Corporate Communications, Cornel Osigwe, informing Pulse that they will conduct an internal investigation before reaching any conclusion.
Innoson withdraws scholarship after Mmesoma's confession
However, the company announced in a statement on Saturday, July 8, 2023, that it has withdrawn the scholarship awarded to Mmesoma following her admission of guilt.
The student, according to a report by the Anambra State government panel of inquiry, used her phone to alter her UTME result.
The statement issued by Osigwe revealed that the company had been involved in the investigations surrounding the result controversy.
He also conveyed the company's disappointment over the development, maintaining that Mmesoma's actions stand in direct contravention of their values,
He said, "Innoson Vehicles Withdraws Scholarship from Miss Joy Mmesoma Ejikeme Following UTME Score Manipulation. In recent days, we have been involved in the process of investigating allegations surrounding the 2023 UTME examination results of one of our scholarship recipients, Miss Joy Mmesoma Ejikeme.
"It was reported initially that Miss Joy scored exceptionally high on the exam, a feat that led to her being awarded a scholarship by our company. However, subsequent reports of discrepancies in her UTME score led us to seek clarification from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and to allow her to voice her stance, we engaged in direct dialogue with Miss Joy.
"Further to this, a committee set up by the Anambra State Governor, Dr. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, carried out a thorough independent investigation into this matter. The findings from this rigorous investigation have now confirmed that Miss Joy Mmesoma Ejikeme did manipulate her UTME results.
"This conclusion is deeply disappointing and stands in direct contravention of the values we hold dear at Innoson Vehicles, particularly those that underscore our scholarship program. In line with these principles and in response to the confirmed findings, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw the scholarship awarded to Miss Joy Mmesoma Ejikeme."