TheCable

Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra state, has directed that Ejikeme Mmesoma be placed under a psychotherapist for three-month for guidance and counseling. 

Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, the state commissioner for education, announced this at a briefing in Awka, the state capital, on Thursday.

Psychotherapy helps people to change behaviours, thoughts, and emotions that are capable of causing problems or distress.

BACKGROUND

Mmesoma has been in the news for claiming she scored 362 in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had revealed that she actually scored 249 in the exam.

The student of Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi, Anambra, initially countered the claim but later admitted that she forged the result.

Amid the ensuing drama, JAMB withdrew her result and suspended her from taking the exam for three years.

On Wednesday, Mmesoma appeared before an ad hoc committee of the house of representatives investigating the alleged forgery of result.

Addressing the committee, the student appealed to JAMB for leniency and claimed ignorance played a “significant role” in the process of obtaining the fake result.

‘WE WON’T THROW AWAY THE BABY WITH THE BATH WATER’

Speaking on the development, the commissioner said Soludo’s directive followed recommendation of the committee constituted by the state government to investigate the case.

Chuma-Udeh said the state will meet with the management of JAMB to “reconsider one or two things” for the student after the psychotherapy.

“We considered what Mmesoma did as ‘juvenile delinquency’ to which any child could fall victim. So, we are not going to throw the baby away with the bath water,” she said.

“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.”