" ITREALMS: Lessons from JAMBFun controversy - ITREALMS

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Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Lessons from JAMBFun controversy - ITREALMS

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The girl amidst technology-generated JAMBFun controversy, Miss Joy Mmesoma Ejikeme, may have gotten to her height of adolescence, but earnestly needs serious counselling, correction and guidance with conclusion by the Committee of Inquiry by Anambra State government, reports ITREALMS' REMMY NWEKE.

Preface:
Lately, the social media has been extremely active with the many pontifications on the misdemeanor occasioned by the electronic prank (e-prank) by Ms Joy Mmesoma Ejikeme, who despite her passing overwhelmingly with 249 score went on to prank the populace with 362.
Lessons from JAMBFun controversy - ITREALMS
Born on March 2, 2004, Joy Mmesoma Ejikeme, according to her records hails from Enugu State but schooling at the Anglican Girls Secondary School, Nnewi, Anambra State. She purportedly took her 2023 JAMB Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) with the examination number C05502116 at the Thomas Chidoka Centre for Human Development, near Shepherd County, Obosi, also in Anambra State. The false UTME result notification she printed on May 14, 2023 had registration number as 202330639047FF. While she claimed to have passed "Use of English - 98; Biology 94; Physics 89 and Chemistry 81 = total score of 362.”

Investigations by ITREALMS revealed that JAMBFun application (app) is a prank app which allows users to create fake JAMB results to fool your friends; You can impress people and saphead your friends.

JAMBFun app has been around since July 16, 2022 and could be downloaded on Apple and Google stores respectively. ITREALMS gathered that JAMBFun app could be used to create JAMB result.
Lessons from JAMBFun controversy - ITREALMS
JAMB question: 
To check JAMB results, candidates are required to question the electronic platform by using the same mobile phone number they used while registering to check their results, by sending through the short messaging service (SMS) “UTME” to 55019 and your result will be sent to you via a replied SMS. The Short Message Service is evidently another name for a text message that is generated and generally sent from one mobile device to another over the cellular network. SMS remain a text-only standard first formalized in 1985 in the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standards.

JAMB’s narration:
JAMB through its spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin had penultimate weekend told media that Mmesoma manually exaggerated her UTME result from 249 to 362 and used her inflated score to attract a N3m scholarship from Innoson Motors and was set to be awarded by the Anambra State government.

Last Monday, Mmesoma in a video sighted by 
ITREALMS, denied claim that she forged her result, “I am traumatised that they accused me of forging my results because I’m not capable of forging my result.” But, JAMB in a statement signed by the spokesperson, Benjamin Fabian on Tuesday morning, said the video was obviously stage-managed, and that the candidate, in her statement, “inadvertently revealed the rightful owner of the result she is parading when she pointed out that the QR code on the result slip showed the actual owner of the said result before she peddled a lie in an attempt to obfuscate the truth.”

Also, JAMB noted that it stopped issuing Notification of Result slips which Mmesoma paraded after the 2021 UTME for the simple reason that candidates were falsifying them, and has been issuing actual UTME Result Slips (not notification of results) since 2022 complete with the photograph of each candidate.

“The board remains unperturbed by this unfortunate development as this is not the first time such fraudulent claims have been made. As such, Nigerians are urged to recall numerous occasions where the Board was sued for billions of naira only for the lawyers to later apologise profusely for their clients’ misadventure” part of the statement read.

Bitcoin chief intervention:
As the controversial rages, Mmesoma was awarded a full scholarship upto masters degree by an Igbo businessman and philanthropist, Gaius Chibueze also known as Bitcoin chief on social media.
Lessons from JAMBFun controversy - ITREALMS
Chibueze in a Tweet post available to ITREALMS that they have taken up funding responsibilities for Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme’s education upto Masters degree level.

According to BitCoinChief tweet, "I and our company @VoiceOfTheEast are ready to offer Miss Joy Mmesoma a 100% scholarship to study in the United Kingdom, Canada or the Uniteed States of America.” Just as Chibueze’s tweet attracted over 3 million views within 24 hours.

ITREALMS recalled that Miss Mmesoma who had initially claimed to have had the highest score in the 2023 UTME with a score of 362 had attracted praise and adulation from Nigerians, one of which was a 3 million scholarship by Innoson Vehicle Motors founder, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, which had since been withdrawn after Mmesoma accepted her 362 score was manipulated via JAMBFun-Fake application.

Tweeps boil:
Twitter users also known as Tweeps were visibly boiling over the matter with some backing Mmesoma or JAMB depending however, on the information available to each of the divide.

A tweep identified as Adrenaline Speed @Perikle24, lamented that there are other awaiting JAMB results known as JAMBites including one Gerald from Southern Kaduna, wondering how come its only Joy case was publicised by JAMB.

This came as investigations revealed that both Joy and Gerald used the same name, the same registration number and the same scorer, (Asimiyu Mariam Omobolanle;11231597 whose aggregated score was 138)?

For Zariyi Yusufu, it was a case of forgery, asserting that “JAMB doesn't even use the printout the girl is brandishing since 2021.”
Lessons from JAMBFun controversy - ITREALMS

Revelation of Anambra Report:
The committee of inquiry set up by the Anambra State Government to examine the allegation involving Mmesoma Ejikeme, has confirmed that she manipulated her UTME result; giving herself a score of 362 as against an actual score of 249.

The Committee in its eight-page report signed by the Anambra State Commissioner of Information, Paul Nwosu, said it conducted interviews with relevant parties, including Mmesoma, JAMB officials and other individual(s) involved in the process as well as the principal of Anglican Girls Secondary School.

They maintained that Mmesoma, a student of Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi admitted that she manipulated the fake result herself, using her phone before proceeding to a cybercafé (Prisca Global Computers, Uruagu, Nnewi) where she printed the results.

The report revealed that Mmesoma made several requests to JAMB asking for her result and each of the times she received in her phone the same score of 249 total aggregate.

Mmesoma in her submission to the committee, reportedly owned up in the presence of her principal and Education Secretary that the narration of JAMB officials was a true and correct description of what happened.

Further, the Committee said it tried to find out the motive behind her action but Mmesoma replied that “nothing” motivated her. As such, Mmesoma was expected to tender a written apology to JAMB, the Anglican Girls Secondary, and the Anambra State government.

Vindicated JAMB, but:
Further, the committee quoted the disappointed Principal Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu, Nnewi, Mrs Edu Uche and the Education Secretary — Diocese of Nnewi (Anglican Communion) as being shocked at what transpired in their presence, “Mmesoma admitted to have manipulated her UTME results, deceiving the school, her immediate family and the state government.”

The Committee hailed JAMB for their diligent handling of the matter and the information supplied about the interface with the candidate, adding, “We hope that this unearthing of the truth as we have discovered will go a long way in correcting the sentiments, misconceptions and deceptions that have been in the public domain.”

Reacting to Anambra committee report, JAMB declared it has been vindicated. They equally said that the outcome reinforced its position that its system was not and cannot be compromised, assuring that they “will not despair in spite of the painful realisation that some Nigerians would do anything to cast aspersions on the good name of the Board.”

Like Chdioka, like Keyamo:
Obviously aligning with Mr. Ejikeme’s plea for pardon of her daughter, asking both JAMB and Nigerians to forgive her, he said Mmesoma lied to even him, the former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidioka and immediate past Minister of State for Labour and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Festus Keyamo, in their respective reactions called for pardon for Mmesoma and possible counselling.

Both also agreed that Mmesoma is brilliant even with her actual score of 249.

For Keyamo, for instance, the nation should be careful not to destroy her, stressing that what she urgently needs is counselling, correction and guidance. She obviously did not know the weight and gravity of what she was doing. “As teenagers, most of us made juvenile mistakes that never came to light.”

Keyamo equally said that the parents should encourage her to do a public apology to JAMB, to her family and to Nigerians after which she should be allowed to get her admission based on her actual scores.

“Anyone still pushing other narratives over this issue is not helping her and her family,” he said.

Blame Nigerian politicians:
Mr. Johnmary Maduakolam, the lawyer who wanted initially to sue JAMB for exposing the embattled Mmesoma based on suspected minor, while reacting to the outcome, insisted that the board failed to follow due process.

Mmesoma, the lawyer alleged, learnt this from politicians in high places that one could forge WAEC, NYSC and any other document, stressing that forgery does not pay. He maintained that JAMB did not follow due process. “They can’t be the accuser and the judge. JAMB violated the law in that regard.”

Equally reacting on whether he will still sponsor Mmesoma, BitCoin Chief, Chibueze, reassured his 100 per cent scholarship and blamed the political class and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“Suppose illegality was not celebrated openly like INEC swearing in a President who didn’t win the Elections, A president with a Forged Certificate and no trace of Primary to University Education. If Nigeria didn’t celebrate elected officials who rig elections, etc. Young people won’t see a reason to forge certificates and be celebrated openly. While we address this, we must look at the entire society.

“If you want us to accept, celebrate and defend a President who rigged election with forged certificate, we must also not destroy little girl’s future with a forged certificate. I will personally call her and explain to her that JAMB numbers don’t define how far she can go in life and next time she shouldn’t bother forging one.

“I and our company @voiceoftheeast will still sponsor her!” he said. Emphasising that whenever Nigeria is ready to clean the mess society has become, should start with public officials many of who are elected with forged certificates. “They are the bad examples people like Mmesoma are copying from. She has made a mistake and she must be corrected and shown the right path for next time!

Conclusion:
Acknowledging the outcome of the Committee set up to investigate the now JAMB controversy, Governor Chukwuma Soludo, ordered counselling session for Mmesoma over UTME result forgery, directing that Ms Ejikeme be handed over to the State Guidance Counselor for counselling following her admission of faking her UTME result.

Confirming this in a press statement available to 
ITREALMS, the Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Ministry of Education, Mr. Nnaemeka Egwuonwu, said that a letter to the Principal of Anglican Girls Secondary School Nnewi to this effect by Governor Soludo further directed the immediate commencement of psychological counselling and therapy sessions for Mmesoma.

The letter signed by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, equally directed that Mmesoma be handed over to a Professor of Clinical Psychology, which is in line with one of the recommendations of the Committee set up by Anambra State Government, following the parading of the fake results which elicited interest and generated controversy and misgivings to the general public, but the candidate has since admitted the manipulation of the fake result herself, by the use of her phone.

Above all, Mmesoma must not be allowed to loose her self esteem to the point of committing suicide. Like Chidoka, Keyamo, Chibueze and Gov. Soludo had rightly pointed out among other well-meaning Nigerians, close counselling is what Mmesoma needs now, after all, every teenager once had an untold escapade.

At this digital era, such untold escapade get more exposed and most at times go viral, hence parents who crave to give pupils mobile phones should equally note they are exposing them too quickly to the crazy world of the World Wide Web (www); except with anticipated parental guidiance on the use of mobile devices and social media.

Mmesoma got into the mess essentially because she definitely have access to an Andriod phone that was not under parental control.

This brings to the fore the need to explore the Child Online Protection (COP) Initiative, a multi-stakeholder network as stipulated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and domesticated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to promote awareness of child safety in the online world and being wary of the apps like JAMBFun-Fake and other societal diminishing value applications that have besieged online space awaiting our children to devour.

A stitch in time still saves nine, only if parents can step up their guidance in a digital times.
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